Cibrarp  of  the  ^rheological  ^emmarjD 

PRINCETON  •  NEW  JERSEY 


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WILLIAM  CAREY. 


Frott  tisfitece. 


WILLIAM  CAREY 

‘©Be  §l?oemafter 

WHO  BECAME 


“THE  FATHER  AND  FOUNDER  OF  MODERN  MISSIONS.” 


BY 

JOHN  BROWN  MYERS, 

ASSOCIATION  SECRETARY  OF  THE  BAPTIST  MISSIONARY  SOCIETY. 


FOURTH  EDITION.  SIXTEENTH  THOUSAND. 


NEW  YORK  and  CHICAGO  : 

JUnting  1|.  IIfIjfII  Company 

PUBLISHERS  OF  EVANGELICAL  LITERATURE. 


PREFACE. 


THIS  work  is  the  first  of  a  series  of  Missionary- 
Biographies  which  it  is  the  intention  of  the 
Publishers  to  issue.  It  may  be  very  earnestly 
hoped  that  the  admirable  proposal  will  be  so  encour¬ 
aged  as  to  be  carried  into  effect,  for  we  can  conceive 
nothing  more  likely  to  promote  Missionary  enterprise 
than  acquaintance  with  the  labours  and  spirit  of 
the  men,  who,  in  the  high  places  of  the  Field,  have 
been  “  the  messengers  of  the  Churches  and  the  glory 
of  Christ.” 

The  price  at  which  the  biographies  are  to  be  pub¬ 
lished  will  render  them  suitable  for  general  circulation 
by  those  friends  of  Missions  who  desire  to  create  an 
intelligent  and  fervent  interest  in  the  evangelisation 
of  the  heathen  world,  as  well  as  for  presentation  in 
the  family  and  the  school. 


5 


VI 


PREFACE. 


Indebtedness  is  acknowledged  for  the  materials  of 
the  present  volume  to  the  “  Periodical  Accounts  of  the 
Baptist  Missionary  Society  the  “  Life  and  Times  of 
Carey,  Marshman,  and  Ward,”  by  J.  C.  Marshman  ; 
“Oriental  Christian  Biography,"  by  W.  H.  Carey;  and 
to  Mr.  John  Taylor’s  “Biographical  and  Literary 
Notices.” 

Those  of  our  readers  who  wish  to  obtain  further 
information  upon  the  subject  of  this  Memoir,  may  be 
referred  to  the  excellent  and  exhaustive  work  recently 
written  by  Dr.  George  Smith. 

It  now  remains  for  the  writer  to  express  the  prayer¬ 
ful  hope  that  this  biography,  produced  in  such  intervals 
as  he  has  been  able  to  secure,  will  help  to  inform  many 
minds  respecting  the  remarkable  man  who  has  been 
justly  styled  “The  Father  and  Founder  of  Modern 
Missions  and  will  stimulate  many  hearts  to  sympa¬ 
thise  with  the  Christ-like  enterprise  Carey  began, 
either  by  consecrating  themselves  personally,  as  he  did, 
to  the  work  abroad,  or  “  by  holding  the  ropes,”  like 
Fuller,  Ryland,  Sutcliff,  and  others,  at  home. 

August ,  1887. 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  PAGE 

I.  HIS  EARLY  YEARS, . 9 

II.  HIS  LIFE  AT  MOULTON  AND  LEICESTER,  .  .  23 

III.  HE  OFFERS  HIMSELF  AS  A  MISSIONARY,  AND 


STARTS  FOR  INDIA, 

• 

•  33 

IV.  FIRST  EXPERIENCES,  .... 

• 

.  41 

V.  REMOVAL  TO  SERAMPORE, 

• 

•  53 

VI.  THE  SERAMPORE  MODE  OF  LIFE,  . 

• 

•  63 

VII.  THREE  IMPORTANT  EVENTS,  . 

• 

•  7 1 

VIII.  VARIOUS  CIRCUMSTANCES, 

.  86 

IX.  CAREY  AS  A  TRANSLATOR, 

.  IOI 

X.  CAREY  AS  A  PHILANTHROPIST, 

♦ 

.  121 

XI.  CAREY  AS  A  NATURALIST, 

•  131 

XII.  CAREY  AND  SERAMPORE  COLLEGE,  . 

• 

•  139 

XIII.  CONCLUSION, . 

7 


WILLIAM  CAREY. 


CHAPTER  I. 

HIS  EARLY  YEARS. 

IF  Thomas  Fuller,  the  author  of  the  “Worthies  of 
England,”  himself  a  Northamptonshire  man,  had 
died  a  century  after  instead  of  exactly  a  century 
before  William  Carey  was  born,  he  might  have 
written  a  work  restricted  to  the  worthies  of  his  own 
county,  and  to  those  two  hundred  years,  as  volumin¬ 
ous  and  interesting  as  his  well-known  folio.  From 
Dryden,  whose  birthplace,  like  his  own,  was  the 
village  of  Aldwinkle,  down  to  John  Clare,  who  may 
be  regarded  as  the  English  Robert  Burns,  how  many 
celebrities,  and  that  not  alone  of  poet  fame,  would 
have  received  biographical  notice !  The  dwellers  in 
the  midland  shire  may  well  be  proud  of  the  eminent 
men  who  have  been  born  upon  its  soil.  But  as  the 
years  pass  on,  and  the  missionary  enterprise,  with 
which  the  subject  of  this  memoir  will  ever  be 
identified,  shall  come  nearer  to  the  fulfilment  of  its 
blessed  purpose,  we  question  whether  the  name  of 

9 


10 


WILLIAM  CAREY. 


any  distinguished  man  in  any  county  or  in  any 
country  will  be  uttered  with  more  tender  reverence 
and  thankful  wonder  than  that  of  William  Carey, 
“the  Father  and  Founder  of  Modern  Missions.” 

Paulerspury,  a  village  with  about  half  the  popula¬ 
tion  it  now  contains,  situated  three  miles  from  the 
market  town  of  Towcester  and  eleven  from  the  county 
town,  was  the  scene  of  William  Carey’s  birth.  The 
event  took  place  on  the  17th  of  August,  1761  ;  at 
which  date  Philip  Doddridge,  the  Independent 
minister  at  Northampton,  President  of  the  Academy, 
and  author  of  “  The  Rise  and  Progress  of  Religion  in 
the  Soul,”  had  been  dead  ten  years  ;  the  Rev.  James 
Hervey  of  Weston  Flavel,  who  wrote  “  Meditations 
among  the  Tombs,”  three  years  ;  and  the  Rev. 
William  Law  of  King’s  Cliffe,  in  the  more  northern 
part  of  the  county,  the  writer  of  “  The  Serious  Call,” 
and  a  follower  of  whom  appears  to  have  been 
largely  instrumental  in  Carey’s  conversion,  had  died 
but  a  few  weeks. 

As  the  infant  was  being  nourished  in  his  cottage 
home  in  Paulerspury,  the  breezy  fen  in  the  Isle  of 
Ely  was  giving  sinew  to  a  certain  sturdy  boy  of  seven  ; 
whilst  another  boy,  two  years  older,  was  being  trained 
in  the  fear  of  God  on  the  Yorkshire  moorland  above 
Todmorden  ;  and  a  third  of  the  same  age — nine 
years — was  astonishing  his  father,  the  quaint  pastor 
of  College  Lane,  Northampton,  with  his  precocious 
learning.  The  first  of  these  was  Andrew  Fuller,  the 
second,  John  Sutcliff,  the  third,  John  Ryland,  with  all 
three  of  whom  William  Carey  was  hereafter  to  be 
brought  into  the  most  intimate  fellowship. 

There  is  reason  to  believe  that  William  Carey’s 
early  ancestors  were  of  considerable  social  position  ; 
but  if  this  were  so,  the  lad  had  certainly  no  evidence 


CAREY’S  BIRTHPLACE. 


12 


WILLIAM  CAREY. 


of  it  in  the  lot  to  which  he  was  born.  At  the  time  of 
his  birth,  his  father,  Edmund  Carey,  was  a  journeyman 
“  tammy  ”  weaver  living  in  a  cottage,  the  humble 
character  of  which  may  be  seen  in  the  illustration 
on  the  preceding  page. 

In  the  year  1767,  his  father  removed  to  the  school- 
house  belonging  to  the  Free  School  at  the  church  end 
of  the  village,  having  obtained  the  two-fold  office  of 
schoolmaster  and  parish  clerk,  the  duties  of  which 
the  grandfather  had  previously  performed.  In  the 
south  porch  of  Paulerspury  Church,  a  tablet  may  be 
seen  perpetuating  the  memory  of  Edmund  Carey,  who 
died  June  15th,  1816,  in  the  eighty-first  year  of  his 
age.  The  old  man  was  worthy  of  the  memorial,  for 
his  faithful  services  and  upright  character  had  won 
the  respect  and  esteem  of  all  his  neighbours. 

William,  of  course,  was  taught  by  his  father  in 
company  with  the  village  lads.  He  soon  began  his 
eager  pursuit  for  knowledge.  He  would  lie  awake  at 
night  going  over  his  sums,  which  it  is  said  his 
mother  often  heard  him  doing,  when  the  rest  of 
the  family  were  asleep.  On  the  removal  from  the 
cottage  in  the  Pury  end  to  the  schoolhouse,  he  was 
allowed  to  have  his  own  little  room.  And  what  an 
interesting  room  it  became !  There  he  kept  his 
numerous  birds,  to  which  he  was  devotedly  attached, 
and  the  eggs  which  were  the  prize  of  many  a  risky 
climb ;  the  walls  too  were  stuck  with  insects,  and 
botanical  specimens  were  preserved  with  the  utmost 
care.  Many  were  the  spoils  he  brought  home  as  the 
result  of  quests  amongst  the  lanes  and  haunts  of 
Whittlebury  Forest.  And  surrounded  by  these 
treasures  of  nature,  he  might  often  have  been  seen 
eagerly  reading  such  books  as  his  father  possessed  *or 
neighbours  could  supply.  As  one  of  his  achievements 


HIS  EARLY  YEARS. 


13 


at  this  time  he  learnt  by  heart  nearly  the  whole  of 
Dyche’s  Latin  vocabulary. 

Two  references  to  these  early  days  are  full  of 
interest.  His  sister  Mary  remarks,  “Though  I 
often  used  to  kill  his  birds  by  kindness,  yet  when 
he  saw  my  grief  he  always  indulged  me  with 
the  pleasure  of  serving  them  again,  and  often  took 
me  over  the  dirtiest  roads  to  get  at  a  plant  or 
an  insect.  ...  I  recollect  even  now  the  delight 
with  which  he  would  show  me  the  beauties  in  the 
growth  of  plants''  And  as  to  his  literary  taste  in  after 
years,  he  himself  said  :  “  I  chose  to  read  books  of 
science,  history,  voyages,  etc.,  more  than  any  others. 
Novels  and  plays  always  disgusted  me,  and  I  avoided 
them  as  much  as  I  did  books  of  religion,  and  perhaps 
from  the  same  motive.  I  was  better  pleased  with 
romances,  and  this  circumstance  made  me  read  the  ‘Pil¬ 
grim’s  Progress  ’  with  eagerness,  though  to  no  purpose.” 

As  a  boy  he  was  marked  by  that  resolute  persever¬ 
ance  which  was  so  conspicuous  a  characteristic  in 
after  life.  His  indomitable  spirit  may  be  seen  in  the 
following  incident.  It  is  related  that  having  fallen 
from  a  tree  he  had  endeavoured  to  climb,  the  first 
thing  he  did  as  soon  as  he  had  recovered  from  his 
bruises  was  to  renew  the  attempt.  The  plodding 
disposition,  to  which  afterwards  he  confessed  he  owed 
so  much,  had  already  begun  to  distinguish  him.  To 
quote  again  his  sister : ( “  When  a  boy  he  was  of  a 
studious  turn  and  fully  bent  on  learning,  and  always 
resolutely  determined  never  to  give  up  any  portion  or 
particle  of  anything  on  which  his  mind  was  set,  till  he 
had  arrived  at  a  clear  knowledge  and  sense  of  his 
subject.  He  was  not  allured  or  diverted  from  it ;  he 
was  firm  to  his  purpose  and  steady  in  his  endeavour 
to  improve.”  1 


M 


WILLIAM  CAREY. 


His  botanical  tastes  were  greatly  encouraged  by 
his  uncle,  Peter  Carey,  who  was  a  gardener  in  the 
village.  Little  did  this  uncle  suppose,  as  he  taught 
the  lad  how  to  cultivate  flowers  and  plant  trees  in  his 
father’s  garden,  that  his  nephew  would  one  day 
become  one  of  the  most  eminent  horticulturists  in 
Asia. 

In  this  description  of  William  Carey’s  childhood 
may  we  not,  to  borrow  Milton’s  metaphor,  truly 
affirm — 

“  The  childhood  shows  the  man 
As  morning  shows  the  day.” 

At  the  age  of  fourteen  William  began  as  a  field 
labourer  to  earn  his  livelihood,  but  in  consequence  of 
a  peculiar  skin  affection  from  which  at  the  time  he 
was  suffering,  and  which  exposure  to  the  sun  most 
painfully  irritated,  he  was  compelled  to  abandon  this 
employment.  What  more  natural  than  that  attention 
should  then  be  turned  to  the  shoemaking  trade,  that 
being,  as  it  is  still,  the  special  occupation  in  the 
'  locality.  There  was  little  difficulty  in  finding  a  suit¬ 
able  shoemaker  to  whom  to  apprentice  the  lad,  and 
in  his  seventeenth  year  we  find  him  at  Hackleton, 
i  nine  miles  distant  from  Paulerspury,  in  the  service  of 
|  Clarke  Nichols.  And  so  he  set  about  learning  the 
craft  which  has  become  almost  hallowed  by  the 
remarkable  number  of  great  and  good  men  who  have 
been  associated  with  it.  j 

The  providence  of  God  “thus  linked  him,”  says 
Dr.  George  Smith,  “to  the  earliest  Latin  missionaries 
of  Alexandria,  of  Asia  Minor,  and  of  Gaul,  who  were 
shoemakers,  and  to  a  succession  of  scholars  and 
divines,  poets  and  critics,  reformers  and  philan¬ 
thropists,  who  have  used  the  shoemaker’s  life  to 
become  illustrious.” 


HIS  EARLY  YEARS. 


15 


Dr.  Smith  also  states :  “  Coleridge,  who,  when  at 
Christ’s  Hospital,  was  ambitious  to  be  a  shoemaker’s 
apprentice,  was  right  when  he  declared  that  shoe¬ 
makers  had  given  to  the  world  a  larger  number  of 
eminent  men  than  any  other  handicraft.” 

Among  Clarke  Nichol’s  books  young  Carey  found 
a  New  Testament^commentary.  Opening  its  pages 
he  saw  for  the  first  time  the  characters  of  the  Greek 
language.  What  could  they  mean?  His  master  did 
not  know.  Who  could  help  him  to  understand  them  ? 
Remembering  a  weaver  in  his  native  village  who  had 
been  well  educated,  but  whose  dissolute  habits  had 
reduced  him  in  circumstances,  he  traced  with  great 
care  the  strange  letters,  and  asking  leave  of  his 
master  to  visit  his  home  he  found  out  the  indigent 
scholar.  And  as  we  thus  imagine  him  gaining 
instruction  in  his  first  Greek  lesson,  how  readily 
we  think  of  him  in  later  life  mastering,  by  the  help  of 
his  learned  Pundits,  the  many  Oriental  languages  and 
dialects,  in  the  acquisition  of  which,  as  we  shall  see, 
he  became  so  wonderful  an  adept. 

William  was  unable  to  complete  the  term  of  his 
apprenticeship  owing  to  the  death  of  his  master,  but 
he  soon  obtained  a  situation  as  journeyman  with  a 
Mr.  T.  Old  of  the  same  village.  In  a  notice  of  his 
early  life  which  Carey  sent  to  Dr.  Ryland,  he  thus 
refers  to  his  new  master  : — “  My  master  was  a  strict 
churchman,  and  what  I  thought  a  very  moral  man. 

It  is  true  he  sometimes  drank  rather  too  freely,  and 
generally  employed  me  in  carrying  goods  on  the 
Lord’s  Day  morning  till  near  church  time ;  but  he 
was  an  inveterate  enemy  to  lying,  a  vice  to  which  [/ 
I  was  awfully  addicted  ;  he  also  possessed  the  quality 
of  commenting  on  a  fault  till  I  could  scarcely  endure 
his  reflections.”  In  this  description  of  his  master  it 


i6 


WILLIAM  CAREY. 


will  be  observed  he  acknowledges  a  personal  pro¬ 
pensity  to  untruthfulness.  Of  this  habit  he  was 
cured  by  an  incident  which  he  himself  relates. 
Referring  to  the  custom  of  collecting  Christmas  boxes 
he  says,  “  When  I  applied  to  an  ironmonger,  he  gave 
me  the  choice  of  a  shilling  or  a  sixpence  ;  I  of  course 
chose  the  shilling,  and  putting  it  in  my  pocket,  went 
away.  When  I  had  got  a  few  shillings  my  next  care 
was  to  purchase  some  little  articles  for  myself ;  but 
then  to  my  sorrow  I  found  that  my  shilling  was  a 
brass  one.  I  paid  for  the  things  which  I  had  bought 
by  using  a  shilling  of  my  master’s.  I  now  found  that 
I  had  exceeded  my  stock  by  a  few  pence.  I  expected 
severe  reproaches  from  my  master,  and  therefore  came 
to  the  resolution  to  declare  strenuously  that  the  bad 
money  was  his.  I  well  remember  the  struggles  of 
mind  which  I  had  on  this  occasion,  and  that  I  made 
this  deliberate  sin  a  matter  of  prayer  to  God  as 
I  passed  over  the  fields  home.  I  then  promised  that 
if  God  would  but  get  me  clearly  over  this,  or  in  other 
words  help  me  through  with  the  theft,  I  would 
certainly  for  the  future  leave  off  all  evil  practices  ;  but 
the  theft  and  consequent  lying  appeared  to  me  so 
necessary  that  they  could  not  be  dispensed  with. 
A  gracious  God  did  not  get  me  safe  through.  My 
master  sent  the  other  apprentice  to  investigate  the 
matter.  The  ironmonger  acknowledged  having  given 
me  the  shilling  and  I  was  therefore  exposed  to  shame, 
reproach,  and  inward  remorse,  which  increased  and 
preyed  upon  my  mind  for  a  considerable  time.  I  then 
sought  the  Lord,  perhaps  much  more  earnestly  than 
ever  ;  but  with  shame  and  fear  I  was  quite  ashamed  to 
go  out,  and  never  till  I  was  assured  that  my  conduct 
was  not  spread  over  the  town  did  I  attend  a  place  of 
worship.” 


IIIS  EARLY  YEARS. 


17 


It  appears  that  the  apprentice  referred  to  was  the 
son  of  a  Dissenter.  The  two  young  men  and  their 
master  frequently  argued  whilst  seated  at  their 
benches,  as  is  common  with  shoemakers,  upon  the 
subject  of  religion.  William  being  the  son  and 
grandson  of  a  parish  clerk,  was,  as  might  have  been 
expected,  a  staunch  churchman.  He  had  read 
Jeremy  Taylor’s  sermons,  and  Spinker’s  “  Sick  Man 
Visited,”  and  to  use  his  own  words,  “  he  had  always 
looked  upon  Dissenters  with  contempt,  and  had, 
moreover,  a  share  of  pride  sufficient  for  a  thousand 
times  his  knowledge.”  In  the  village  there  was  a 
small  meeting-house ;  but  he  would  not  deign  to 
enter  it.  Nay,  “  he  rather  had  enmity  enough  in  his 
heart  to  destroy  it”;  but  the  apprentice,  the  son  of  the 
Dissenter,  becoming  the  subject  of  deep  religious 
concern,  showed  much  anxiety  not  alone  for  himself, 
but  also  on  behalf  of  his  fellow-workman.  In  his 
solicitude  he  lent  him  good  books,  as  well  as  most 
tenderly  and  earnestly  conversing  with  him.  The 
result  was  that  William  Carey’s  mind  underwent  a 
great  change,  but  the  light  by  which  he  should  see 
himself  a  helpless  sinner  and  Christ  an  all-sufficient 
Saviour  had  not  yet  shone  into  his  heart.  He 
endeavoured  to  quiet  his  conscience  by  a  diligent 
observance  of  the  forms  of  worship.  He  became 
exceedingly  zealous,  going  about  to  establish  a 
righteousness  of  his  own.  He  resolved  to  go  regu¬ 
larly  to  three  churches  in  the  day,  and  to  a  prayer¬ 
meeting  at  the  meeting-house  in  the  evening.  He 
read  and  meditated  much,  trying  to  form  a  satis¬ 
factory  creed.  Whilst  he  was  thus  encouraging  his 
self-righteousness,  he  made  the  acquaintance,  as 
before  mentioned,  of  a  follower  of  the  Rev.  William 
Law,  in  conversation  with  whom  he  was  affected  “  in 

B 


i8 


WILLIAM  CAREY. 


a  manner  which  was  new  to  him.”  He  felt  himself 
ruined  and  helpless.  “The  conversation,”  he  says, 
“  filled  me  with  anxiety,  and  when  I  was  alone  this 
anxiety  increased.  I  was,  by  these  means,  I  trust, 
brought  to  depend  on  a  crucified  Saviour  for  pardon 
and  salvation,  and  to  seek  a  system  of  doctrines  in 
the  Word  of  God.” 

In  his  desire  to  inform  his  mind  upon  the  truths  of 
religion,  he  attended,  as  far  as  he  was  able,  the 
preaching  of  surrounding  ministers.  Of  these  no 
preacher  seems  to  have  been  so  helpful  as  the 
Rev.  Thomas  Scott,  the  commentator,  who  succeeded 
the  equally  well  known  John  Newton  in  the  living  of 
Olney.  It  is  not  unlikely  that  William  Carey  was 
induced  to  go  and  hear  Scott  because  of  the  acquaint¬ 
ance  he  had  already  made  with  him.  When  passing 
through  Hackleton  that  minister  had  rested  at  his 
master’s  house.  A  short  time  before  Scott’s  death 
Carey  wrote  thus  to  Dr.  Ryland  :  “  Pray,  give  my  best 
thanks  to  dear  Mr.  Scott  for  his  translation  of  the 
History,  &c.,  of  the  Synod  of  Dort.  I  would  write  to 
him  if  I  could  command  time.  If  there  be  anything 
of  the  work  of  God  in  my  soul,  I  owe  much  of  it  to 
his  preaching  when  I  first  set  out  in  the  ways  of  the 
Lord.”  Dr.  George  Smith  records  that  the  good  man 
replied :  “  I  am  surprised  as  well  as  gratified  at  your 
message  from  Dr.  Carey.  He  heard  me  preach  only 
a  few  times,  and  then,  as  far  as  I  know,  in  my  rather 
irregular  excursions  ;  though  I  often  conversed  and 
prayed  in  his  presence,  and  endeavoured  to  answer 
his  sensible  and  pertinent  inquiries  when  at  Hackleton. 
But  to  have  suggested  even  a  single  useful  hint  to 
such  a  mind  as  his  must  be  considered  as  a  high 
privilege  and  matter  of  gratitude.” 

About  this  time  a  small  church  was  being  formed 


HIS  EARLY  YEARS. 


19 


in  the  humble  meeting-house  at  Hackleton,  and 
Carey,  with  his  fellow-workman,  helped  to  compose 
this  little  Christian  community.  At  some  of  the 
services,  which  took  the  form  of  a  kind  of  conference, 
Carey  would  speak,  and  evidently  with  the  approba¬ 
tion  of  his  fellow-members.  It  is  interesting  to  note 
how  he  refers  to  this  approval,  “  Being  ignorant,  they 
sometimes  applauded,  to  my  great  injury.” 

Among  the  books  coming  into  his  hands  was  a 
work,  the  identical  copy  of  which  may  now  be  seen  in 
the  library  of  the  Baptist  College  at  Bristol.  Its  title 
is,  “  Help  to  Zion’s  Travellers;”  it  was  written  with 
the  object  of  removing  various  stumbling-blocks  out 
of  the  way  relating  to  doctrinal,  experimental,  and 
practical  religion  ;  the  author  being  the  elder  Robert 
Hall.  This  volume  was  given  to  him  by  a  Mr. 
Skinner  of  Towcester,  “in  which,”  says  Carey, 
“  I  found  all  that  arranged  and  illustrated  which 
I  had  so  long  been  picking  up  by  scraps.  I  do  not 
remember  ever  to  have  read  any  book  with  such 
rapture  as  I  did  that.” 

Circumstances  now  arose  which  led  to  his  marriage 
with  Dorothy  Placket,  and  this  before  he  was  twenty 
years  of  age.  In  consequence  of  his  master’s  death 
Carey  took  over  the  business,  the  responsibility  of 
this  step  being  shared  by  the  widow’s  sister,  the  said 
Dorothy.  The  marriage  did  not  prove  suitable  ;  but 
though  Mrs.  Carey  had  little  sympathy  with  her 
husband’s  tastes,  and  though  her  predisposition  to 
mental  disease  was  the  occasion  of  constant  anxiety, 
he  ever  treated  her  with  noble  tenderness. 

The  business  having  thus  changed  hands,  Carey 
put  over  his  shop  a  new  sign-board,  which  in  after 
years  his  old  shop-mate  preserved  ;  from  whose  widow 
it  was  obtained  and  eventually  deposited  in  the 


20 


WILLIAM  CAREY. 


college  in  Regent’s  Park.  It  was  inscribed  with  his 
own  hand.  The  following  is  a  facsimile  : — 

Second!)  (hand 

S'  hoes)(bgught 

A  K  I T) )  l  ^  • 

carey’s  sign-board. 

The  rest  of  the  writing  is  now  illegible. 

Domestic  and  business  troubles  soon  arose.  Fever 
entered  his  home.  His  little  daughter  in  her  second 
year  was  taken  from  him  ;  he  himself  was  smitten 
down,  and  though  he  recovered,  ague  followed,  from 
which  he  suffered  for  more  than  a  year  and  a-half. 
His  trade  was  carried  on  with  much  difficulty.  In 
his  straits  he  was  compelled  to  part  with  such  things 
as  he  could  anyhow  spare  to  provide  for  daily  wants. 
Starvation  staring  him  in  the  face,  his  brother,  who 
was  only  a  youth,  with  some  friends  in  his  native 
village,  came  to  his  relief.  By  their  timely  aid  he  was 
enabled  to  take  a  little  cottage  in  Piddington,  a  place 
close  by,  where,  besides  continuing  his  shoemaking,  he 
opened  an  evening  school. 

Before,  however,  this  removal  to  his  new  home,  he 
attended  the  meetings  of  the  Association  held  at 
Olney,  though  so  poor  was  he,  that  he  had  to  fast  all 


HIS  EARLY  YEARS. 


21 


day,  having  no  means  to  procure  a  dinner.  The 
occasion  was  eventful,  for  one  of  the  preachers  was 
none  other  than  the  future  Secretary  of  the  Mission¬ 
ary  Society — Andrew  Fuller — who  was  fulfilling  his 
ministry  with  so  much  promise  at  Soham.  As  far  as 
is  known,  this  was  the  first  time  the  two  men  met,  and 
then  without  any  personal  acquaintance.  The  day 
was  further  of  importance,  because  as  the  result  of 
what  took  place,  Carey  from  that  date  began  to 
exercise  his  own  gifts  as  a  preacher  with  greater 
regularity.  In  the  evening  the  Independent  minister, 
Mr.  Chater,  knowing  him  slightly,  invited  him  with 
some  friends  from  Earls  Barton  to  come  to  his  house 
and  partake  of  refreshment.  In  course  of  conversa¬ 
tion,  Mr.  Chater  urged  these  Barton  friends  to  ask 
William  Carey  to  preach  at  their  chapel.  Shortly 
after  they  did  so.  Carey  complied  ;  why  he  could 
not  tell.  He  thought  it  was  because  he  had  not 
a  sufficient  degree  of  confidence  to  refuse.  Thus 
began  an  occasional  ministry  which  extended  over  a 
period  of  three  years  and  a-half. 

The  Christian  people  in  his  native  village,  hearing 
of  his  preaching,  desired  him  to  come  to  them  also, 
which  he  agreed  to  do  once  a  month.  His  mother 
went  to  hear  him,  and  formed  no  mean  idea  of  her 
son’s  ability,  declaring  that  if  spared  he  would  one 
day  become  a  great  preacher.  His  father,  the  parish 
clerk,  not  wishing  to  be  seen  in  the  congregation,  con¬ 
trived  on  one  occasion  to  hear  him  clandestinely,  and 
though  a  reserved  man,  expressed  himself  as  highly 
gratified. 

The  friends  at  Earls  Barton,  being  desirous  to  form 
themselves  into  a  Christian  Church,  invited  Mr.  Sutcliff, 
the  Baptist  minister  at  Olney,  to  advise  them  upon  the 
matter.  He  not  only  gave  them  the  benefit  of  his 


22 


WILLIAM  CAREY. 


wise  counsels  but  very  affectionately  recommended 
Carey  to  connect  himself  with  “  some  respectable 
church,”  and  to  be  appointed  to  the  ministry  “  in  a 
more  regular  way.”  Acting  upon  this  advice,  he 
united  himself  with  the  church  at  Olney,  and  was  by 
that  body  of  Christians  formally  set  apart  for  the 
work  of  the  ministry.  Two  extracts  from  the  Olney 
Church  book  will  appropriately  close  this  chapter. 

“June  14,  1785.  Church  Meeting.  W.  Carey  (see 
June  17)  appeared  before  the  Church,  and  having 
given  a  satisfactory  account  of  the  work  of  God  upon 
his  soul,  he  was  admitted  a  member.  He  had  been 
formerly  baptised  by  the  Rev.  Mr.  Ryland  jun.  of 
Northampton.  He  was  invited  by  the  Church  to 
preach  in  public  once  next  Lord’s  Day.” 

“Aug.  10.  Church  Meeting.  This  evening  our 
brother  William  Carey  was  called  to  the  work  of  the 
ministry,  and  sent  out  by  the  Church  to  preach  the 
Gospel  wherever  God  in  His  providence  might  call 
him.” 


f 


CHAPTER  II. 

IIIS  LIFE  AT  MOULTON  AND  LEICESTER. 

A  SPHERE  soon  presented  itself  in  Moulton — a 
village  through  which  the  high  road  passes 
from  Kettering  to  Northampton,  four  miles 
distant  from  the  latter  town — for  the  more 
regular  exercise  of  Carey’s  ministerial  gifts.  The 
members  of  the  Baptist  Church  who  desired  his 
services  had  indeed  little  of  this  world’s  goods,  for  the 
most  they  could  offer  him  as  a  stipend  was  Aio  per 
annum,  which  sum  was  afterwards  supplemented  by  a 
grant  of  A 5  from  a  fund  in  London. 

The  steps  leading  to  his  settlement,  according  to 
the  custom  then  prevailing,  were  marked  with  extreme 
deliberation.  The  first  communication  from  the 
church  was  in  June,  1785  ;  and  not  until  after  more 
than  a  year  of  probationary  preaching  was  it  “  agreed 
universally  to  call  their  minister,  Mr.  Carey,  to  the 
office  of  pastor.”  Three  months  the  call  was  under 
consideration.  Six  months  after  its  acceptance,  on 
August  1st,  1787,  the  ordination  took  place,  when 
Mr.  Ryland,  jun.  asked  the  questions,  Mr.  Sutcliff 


24 


WILLIAM  CAREY. 


delivered  the  charge  to  the  minister,  and  Mr.  Fuller  to 
the  people. 

It  is  obvious  that  the  income  to  be  derived  from  the 
offerings  of  the  poor  Baptist  community  at  Moulton 
would  be  insufficient  for  the  support  of  Carey’s  family; 
but  a  schoolmaster  having  recently  left  the  village, 
there  seemed  a  good  prospect  of  adding  to  his  slender 
means  by  teaching.  His  circumstances,  however, 
were  not  very  materially  improved,  as  it  is  doubtful 
whether  the  school  pence  ever  amounted  to  more  than 
seven  and  sixpence  per  week.  An  extract  from  an 
appeal  for  help,  when  an  increasing  congregation 
made  an  enlargement  of  the  meeting-house  a 
necessity,  will  bring  vividly  before  the  mind  his 
temporal  position.  “  We  are  all  so  poor  that  upon 
attempting  a  collection  among  ourselves,  we  could 
raise  but  a  few  shillings  above  two  pounds  ;  ...  at  the 
same  time  the  peculiar  situation  of  our  minister, 
Mr.  Carey,  renders  it  impossible  for  us  to  send  him 
far  abroad  to  collect  the  contributions  of  the  charit¬ 
able  ;  as  we  are  able  to  raise  him  but  about  ten 
pounds  per  annum,  so  that  he  is  obliged  to  keep  a 
school  for  his  support ;  and  as  there  are  two  other 
schools  in  the  town,  if  he  was  to  leave  home  to  collect 
for  the  building,  he  must  probably  quit  his  situation 
for  want  of  a  maintenance.  If,  therefore,  God  should 
put  it  into  the  heart  of  any  Christian  friends  at  a 
distance  to  assist  us  in  our  distress  and  necessity,  we 
would  beg  of  them  to  remit  the  money,  that  they  may 
collect  for  us,  to  the  care  of  the  Rev.  Mr.  Ryland  in 
Gyles’s  Street,  Northampton.” 

The  attempt  to  supplement  his  stipend  by  teaching 
was  soon  frustrated  by  the  return  of  the  schoolmaster. 
It  is  questionable,  however,  whether  in  any  circum¬ 
stances  his  school  would  have  succeeded  ;  for  though 


HIS  LIFE  AT  MOULTON  AND  LEICESTER. 


25 


he  had  extraordinary  power  in  the  acquisition  of 
knowledge,  he  had  less  in  the  imparting  of  it.  “  He 
probably,”  says  his  sister,  “  had  much  less  faculty  for 
teaching  than  for  acquiring.”  This  seems  to  have 
shown  itself  in  the  imperfect  discipline  of  the  boys. 
Conscious  that  he  was  sadly  wanting  in  the  requisite 
sternness,  he  would  humorously  observe,  “  When 
I  kept  the  school,  the  boys  kept  me.” 

His  school  failing,  he  was  compelled  to  resume  his 
trade  as  a  shoemaker  ;  but  not  as  his  own  master,  for 
his  former  experiences  gave  him  little  encouragement 
to  re-commence  business  on  his  own  account.  He 
sought  and  obtained  work  from  a  Government 
contractor  in  Northampton  ;  and  once  a  fortnight  the 
village  pastor  might  have  been  seen  trudging  along 
the  road  with  his  bag  of  boots,  and  then  returning 
with  a  fresh  supply  of  leather. 

But  by  this  time  his  mind  and  heart  were  becoming 
engrossed  with  the  great  missionary  idea.  It  is 
probable  that  its  inception  was  due  to  the  reading 
of  Cook’s  Voyages,  though  if  ever  an  idea  was 
originated  in  any  man  by  the  Spirit  of  God,  it  was 
surely  this  idea  of  the  evangelisation  of  the  heathen 
world. 

It  should  not  be  forgotten  here  that  whilst  Carey  is 
truly  described  as  “  The  Father  of  Modern  Missions,” 
other  noble  men,  such  as  Eliot  and  Brainerd  and 
Schwartz,  had  themselves  been  missionaries ;  but  no 
Society  had  as  yet  been  originated  for  the  definite 
object  of  sending  the  Gospel  to  the  heathen.  As  Dr. 
George  Smith  observes,  “  The  English  and  Scotch 
Propagation  Societies  sought  rather  to  provide 
spiritual  aid  for  the  Colonists  and  the  Highlanders  ;  ” 
and  again,  “  William  Carey  had  no  predecessor  in 
India  as  the  first  ordained  Englishman  who  was  sent 


26 


WILLIAM  CAREY. 


to  it  as  a  missionary  ;  he  had  no  predecessor  in 
Bengal  and  Hindoostan  proper  as  the  first  missionary 
from  any  land  to  the  people.  Even  the  Moravians, 
who  in  1777,  had  sent  two  brethren  to  Serampore, 
Calcutta,  and  Patna,  had  soon  withdrawn  them,  and 
one  of  them  became  the  Company’s  botanist  in 
Madras — Dr.  Heyne.  Carey  practically  stood  alone 
at  the  first.” 

In  any  account  of  the  origin  of  the  Baptist  Mission¬ 
ary  Society,  considerable  prominence  should  be  given 
to  two  publications,  one  by  Jonathan  Edwards,  and 
the  other  by  Andrew  Fuller.  A  copy  of  the  first, 
entitled  “An  humble  attempt  to  promote  explicit  agree¬ 
ment  and  visible  union  of  God’s  people  in  extra¬ 
ordinary  prayer  for  the  revival  of  religion  and  the 
advancement  of  Christ’s  kingdom  on  earth,”  came 
into  Carey’s  hands.  The  reading  of  the  pamphlet 
by  the  ministers  of  the  Northamptonshire  Association 
resulted  in  a  resolution  to  set  apart  an  hour  for 
prayer  on  the  first  Monday  in  every  month,  when 
especially  the  spread  of  the  Gospel  to  the  most  distant 
parts  of  the  habitable  globe  was  to  be  the  object  of 
most  fervent  request,  an  expression  being  added,  in  the 
catholicity  of  their  hearts,  of  the  joy  it  would  occasion 
if  other  Christian  Societies,  not  alone  of  their  denomi¬ 
nation,  would  unite  with  them. 

The  other  publication  was  Andrew  Fuller’s,  “  The 
Gospel  worthy  of  all  Acceptation,”  the  issue  of  which 
work  was  a  most  needed  and  most  powerful  antidote 
to  the  antinomianism  so  rife  amongst  the  Churches. 
“  If,”  argued  Carey  when  he  had  read  Fuller’s  work, 
“  it  be  the  duty  of  all  men,  where  the  Gospel  comes, 
to  believe  unto  salvation,  then  it  is  the  duty  of  those 
who  are  entrusted  with  the  Gospel  to  endeavour  to 
make  it  known  among  all  nations  for  the  obedience 


HIS  LIFE  AT  MOULTON  AND  LEICESTER.  27 


of  faith.”  The  more  Carey  brooded  over  the  religious 
condition  of  the  world,  the  more  convinced  he  became 
that  a  solemn  responsibility  rested  upon  Christians 
to  send  forth  a  knowledge  of  the  glad  tidings.  How 
this  could  be  done  came  now  to  be  the  problem  of 
his  constant  thought.  The  idea  kindled  within  him 
as  a  fire  that  burned.  It  was  with  him  as  he  taught 
in  his  school,  and  as  he  worked  on  his  bench.  It  gave 
tone  to  his  sermons  as  it  burdened  his  prayers. 
“I  remember,”  says  Fuller,  “on  going  into  the  room 
where  he  employed  himself  at  his  business,  I  saw 
hanging  up  against  the  wall  a  very  large  map,  con¬ 
sisting  of  several  sheets  of  paper  pasted  together  by 
himself,  on  which  he  had  drawn  with  a  pen  a  place 
for  every  nation  in  the  known  world,  and  entered  into 
it  whatever  he  had  met  with  in  reading,  relative  to  its 
population,  religion,  &c.” 

His  settlement  at  Moulton  brought  Carey  into 
frequent  contact  with  the  ministers  of  the  association 
with  which  his  Church  was  connected.  He  of  course 
attended  their  periodic  meetings.  His  life-long 
friendship  with  Mr.  Fuller  began  on  one  of  these 
occasions ;  though,  as  we  have  seen  in  the  preceding 
chapter,  he  had  previously  heard  him  preach  at  Olney. 
The  appointed  preacher  failing  to  appear,  Carey  was 
requested  to  take  his  place.  This  he  did  with  such 
acceptance,  that  on  his  descending  from  the  pulpit, 
Fuller  seized  him  by  the  hand,  expressing  the  pleasure 
he.  felt  at  their  agreement  in  sentiment,  and  also  the 
hope  that  they  might  know  each  other  more 
intimately. 

At  these  meetings  of  the  ministers,  Carey  lost  no 
opportunity  that  arose  in  private  conversation  to 
urge  upon  his  brethren  the  great  question  with  which 
his  own  thoughts  were  ever  absorbed.  He  did  not, 


28 


WILLIAM  CAREY. 


however,  meet  with  the  sympathy  he  desired  ;  but 
whether  they  would  hear  or  forbear  to  hear,  he  could 
not  but  continue  his  importunity.  An  ever  memor¬ 
able  scene  must  now  be  narrated.  We  give  the  story 
in  the  words  of  Mr.  Morris,  the  minister  at  Clipstone: — 
“Before  the  end  of  1786,  Mr.  Carey,  accompanied  by 
another  minister  of  the  same  age  and  standing  with 
himself,  went  to  a  ministers’  meeting  at  Northampton. 
Towards  the  close  of  the  evening,  when  the  public 
services  were  ended,  and  the  company  engaged  in  a 
desultory  conversation,  Mr.  Ryland  senior  entered 
the  room,  and,  with  his  accustomed  freedom, 
demanded  that  the  two  junior  ministers,  Mr.  Carey 
and  his  friend,  should  each  propose  a  question  for 
general  discussion.  Mr.  Carey  pleaded  several 
excuses,  but  a  question  was  imperiously  demanded. 
At  length  he  submitted,  ‘Whether  the  command 
given  to  the  apostles  to  “  teach  all  nations,”  was  not 
obligatory  on  all  succeeding  ministers  to  the  end  of 
the  world,  seeing  that  the  accompanying  promise  was 
of  equal  extent  ?  ’ 

“  The  querist  was  soon  told  by  his  interrogator,  with¬ 
out  waiting  for  the  judgment  of  the  company,  that  cer¬ 
tainly  nothing  could  be  done  before  another  Pentecost, 
when  an  effusion  of  miraculous  gifts,  including  the  gift 
of  tongues,  would  give  effect  to  the  commission  of 
Christ  as  at  first ;  and  that  he  was  a  most  miserable 
enthusiast  for  asking  such  a  question  !  This  was  the 
first  time  Mr.  Carey  had  mentioned  the  subject  openly, 
and  he  was  greatly  abashed  and  mortified  ;  but  he 
still  pondered  these  things  in  his  heart.  Mr.  Fuller 
at  the  same  time  sympathised  with  him,  offered 
several  encouraging  remarks,  and  recommended  it  to 
him  to  pursue  his  inquiries.” 

During  a  visit  Carey  had  paid  to  Birmingham 


IIIS  LIFE  AT  MOULTON  AND  LEICESTER.  29 


probably  on  behalf  of  the  Moulton  Chapel  debt,  he 
made  the  acquaintance  of  a  Mr.  Potts,  from  whom  he 
met  with  the  warmest  sympathy.  Having  informed 
him  in  the  course  of  conversation  that  he  had  a 
manuscript  upon  the  subject  of  missions,  this  gentle¬ 
man  urged  him  to  publish  it,  generously  offering  the 
sum  of  £10  for  that  purpose — but  the  time  for  publi¬ 
cation  was  not  yet. 

In  the  April  of  1789,  Carey  made  the  important 
communication  to  his  Moulton  friends  that  he  had 
received  an  invitation  to  the  pastorate  of  Harvey  Lane 
Church,  in  Leicester,  the  church  which  hereafter  was 
favoured  with  the  ministrations  of  the  pre-eminently 
gifted  Robert  Hall.  The  entry  in  the  church-book 
will  be  read  with  interest :  “  April  2nd — Our  beloved 
pastor,  who  had  been  in  considerable  straits  for  want 
of  maintenance,  informed  us  that  the  church  at 
Leicester  had  given  him  an  invitation  to  make  trial 
with  them,  on  which  account  we  appointed  to  meet 
every  Monday  evening  for  prayer  on  that  affair.” 
The  call  was  accepted  ;  his  brethren,  Fuller,  Sutcliff, 
and  Ryland  again,  with  Pearce  of  Birmingham,  in  due 
course,  coming  to  his  formal  induction. 

But  though  his  change  of  residence  was  in  many 
respects  a  great  advantage,  bringing  him  into  associa¬ 
tion  with  men  of  culture,  whose  books  were  freely 
placed  at  his  disposal,  yet  his  material  circumstances 
were  little  improved,  and  so  again  we  see  him  com¬ 
pelled  to  resume  school  teaching. 

Whilst  at  Leicester  he  enjoyed  an  intimate  friend¬ 
ship  with  the  rector  of  St.  Mary’s,  the  evangelical 
Thomas  Robinson.  Between  the  two  men  there  was 
the  most  cordial  understanding.  “  Mr.  Robinson,” 
said  Mr.  Carey  on  a  certain  occasion,  “  I  am  a  Dissenter 
and  you  are  a  Churchman.  We  must  each  endeavour 


30 


WILLIAM  CAREY. 


to  do  good  according  to  our  light.  At  the  same  time 
you  may  be  assured  that  I  had  rather  be  the  instru¬ 
ment  of  converting  a  scavenger  that  sweeps  the  streets 
than  of  merely  proselytising  the  richest  and  best 
characters  in  your  congregation.” 

The  course  of  events  was  now  rapidly  moving 
towards  the  formation  of  the  Missionary  Society.  At 
the  association  meetings  in  1791,  held  at  Clipstone, 
the  preachers  were  Mr.  Sutcliff  and  Mr.  Fuller ;  the 
former  taking  as  his  subject,  “Jealousy  for  the  Lord 
of  Hosts  ;  ”  the  latter,  “  The  pernicious  influence  of 
delay  in  matters  of  religion.”  A  most  solemn  feeling 
pervaded  the  assembly.  Carey,  deeply  moved,  and 
hoping  that  his  hour  had  come,  urged  the  brethren 
no  longer  to  delay  in  the  matter  of  the  evangelisation 
of  the  heathen.  Such  was  the  effect  of  his  earnest¬ 
ness  that  had  it  not  been  for  Sutcliff’s  counsels, 
recommending  further  consideration,  a  Society  had 
then  and  there  been  started.  The  brethren  separated 
with  the  request  that  Carey  should  publish  what 
it  was  known  he  had  written  upon  the  subject. 

When  the  annual  meetings  of  the  association  came 
round  again — this  year  to  be  held  at  Nottingham — 
Carey  was  one  of  the  preachers.  He  chose  for  his 
text  Isaiah  liv.  2  and  3.  The  two  divisions,  hereafter 
to  be  the  motto  of  the  Society,  being,  “  Expect  great 
things  from  God,”  “  Attempt  great  things  for  God.” 
The  impression  made  by  the  discourse  was  so  decided, 
that  the  following  resolution  was  arrived  at : — “  That 
against  the  next  meeting  of  ministers  at  Kettering, 
a  plan  should  be  prepared  for  the  purpose  of  forming 
a  society  for  propagating  the  Gospel  among  the 
heathen.”  The  meeting  was  duly  held  on  the  2nd  of 
October,  1792  ;  and,  in  Mrs.  Beeby  Wallis’s  back  par¬ 
lour,  when  the  public  services  of  the  day  were  ended, 


HOUSE  AT  KETTERING  IN  WHICH  THE  BAPTIST  MISSIONARY  SOCIETY  WAS  FORMED. 


32 


WILLIAM  CAREY. 


the  ministers  having  retired  for  prayer,  plans  were 
submitted  and  approved,  solemn  vows  were  uttered, 
a  collection  of  ^13,  2s.  6d.  was  made;  and  so  the 
great  missionary  enterprise  was  duly  inaugurated. 
Mr.  Fuller  was  appointed  Secretary,  and  Mr.  Hogg 
of  Thrapston,  Treasurer.  Before  separating,  Carey 
promised  that  whatever  profits  might  result  from 
the  publication  of  his  manuscript  should  be  added 
to  the  fund  which  the  collection  had  started.  As 
soon  as  possible  it  was  printed,  bearing  the  title  of 
“An  Inquiry  into  the  obligations  of  Christians,  to  use 
means  for  the  conversion  of  the  heathens.  In  which 
the  religious  state  of  the  different  nations  of  the 
world,  the  success  of  former  undertakings,  and  the 
practicability  of  further  undertakings,  are  considered. 
By  William  Carey.”  A  more  accurate  and  complete 
treatise  could  scarcely  have  been  written.  It  is  too 
long  to  reproduce  in  these  pages.  We  must  content 
ourselves  with  simply  saying  that  every  word  is 
worthy  of  consideration  at  the  present  day,  being 
by  no  means  out  of  date,  though  published  nearly  a 
century  ago. 


CHAPTER  III. 

HE  OFFERS  HIMSELF  AS  A  MISSIONARY, 

AND  STARTS  FOR  INDIA. 

THE  Society  being  now  formally  organised,  and 
its  funds  being  increased  by  “  a  surprising 
sum  ”  of  £yo  obtained  by  Mr.  Pearce  from 
friends  at  Birmingham,  a  statement  for  in¬ 
formation  and  appeal  was  drawn  up  by  the  Committee 
and  “addressed  to  their  fellow  Christians  at  large.” 
This  being  done,  the  vital  questions  arose  in  what 
part  of  heathendom  their  operations  should  begin, 
and  where  a  suitable  missionary  or  missionaries 
should  be  found  ? 

At  one  of  the  business  meetings  a  letter  was 
received  from  Mr.  Carey,  who  was  unable  to  be 
present,  in  which  attention  was  directed  to  a  Mr. 
Thomas,  who  in  1783  had  gone  out  to  India  in  the 
East  India  Company’s  service  as  surgeon  on  board 
the  Oxford ;  and  who,  during  his  residence  in  that 
country,  had  engaged  to-  a  considerable  extent  in 
evangelistic  labours,  being  largely  encouraged  and 
supported  by  that  truly  Christian  man,  Mr.  Charles 

33  C 


34 


WILLIAM  CAREY. 


Grant.  The  letter  stated  that  Mr.  Thomas  was  now 
in  England,  and  that  he  was  trying  to  establish  a  fund 
in  London  for  a  mission  to  Bengal.  Carey  suggested 
that  it  might  be  desirable  to  co-operate.  This  led 
to  a  request — that  Brother  Thomas  should  send  a 
narrative  of  himself  and  of  his  labours  in  India  ;  and 
also  to  a  resolution  that  the  Secretary  should  make 
all  due  inquiries.  The  result  being  satisfactory,  Mr. 
Thomas  was  invited  to  go  out  under  the  patronage 
of  the  Society,  the  Committee  engaging  to  furnish  him 
with  a  companion,  “  if  a  suitable  one  could  be  obtained.” 

No  sooner  was  that  resolution  passed  than  Carey 
offered  his  own  services.  The  circumstances  in  which 
the  offer  was  made  are  now  historic.  Having  been 
greatly  impressed  by  perusing  Mr.  Thomas’s  account 
of  the  religious  condition  of  the  heathen,  Andrew 
Fuller  remarked  that  “  there  was  a  gold  mine  in  India, 
but  it  seemed  almost  as  deep  as  the  centre  of  the 
earth.”  When  he  asked,  “  Who  will  venture  to 
explore  it ? ”  “I  will  venture  to  go  down,”  was  the 
instant  reply  of  Carey  ;  “  but  remember  that  you,” 
addressing  Fuller,  Sutcliff,  and  Ryland,  “  must  hold 
the  ropes.”  “This,”  afterwards  said  Fuller,  “we 
solemnly  engaged  to  him  to  do,  pledging  ourselves 
never  to  desert  him  as  long  as  we  should  live.” 

Whilst  the  brethren  were  thus  deliberating,  who 
should  appear  upon  the  scene  but  Thomas  himself ! 
When  Carey  beheld  his  future  colleague  he  rose  and 
fell  on  his  neck  and  wept. 

The  two  missionaries  being  now  definitely  accepted, 
preparations  for  their  departure  were  at  once  set  on 
foot ;  but  no  sooner  did  they  begin  practically  to 
carry  out  the  great  object  of  the  enterprise  than  their 
difficulties  commenced. 

The  congregation  to  which  Carey  had  ministered 


HE  OFFERS  HIMSELF  AS  A  MISSIONARY.  3$ 

was  loath  to  lose  the  services  of  their  pastor ;  and 
so  Thomas  and  Sutcliff  had  to  visit  Leicester  to 
conciliate  his  hearers.  With  many  heart-pangs  his 
congregation  consented  to  the  severance,  a  sense  of 
duty  prevailing.  “  We  have  been  praying,”  said  one 
of  the  members,  “  for  the  spread  of  Christ’s  Kingdom 
amongst  the  heathen,  and  now  God  requires  us  to 
make  the  first  sacrifice  to  accomplish  it.”  And  upon 
their  pastor  leaving  they  made  an  entry  in  their  church 
book,  so  that  his  love  to  his  poor  miserable  fellow 
creatures  might  be  put  on  record  ;  at  the  same  time 
stating  that  whilst  they  concurred  with  him,  it  was  at 
the  expense  of  losing  one  whom  they  loved  as  their 
own  souls. 

A  greater  difficulty  arose  in  the  reluctance  of  Mrs. 
Carey  to  accompany  her  husband.  His  representations 
and  entreaties  were  of  no  avail.  But  whilst  his 
determination  never  wavered,  the  prospect  of  a  possible 
life-long  separation  cost  him  unutterable  grief.  How 
keenly  he  felt  may  be  seen  in  the  manner  in  which 
he  wrote  to  his  wife  when  he  had  proceeded  as  far 
as  Ryde.  “  If  I  had  all  the  world,  I  would  freely 
give  it  all  to  have  you  and  the  dear  children  with 
me ;  but  the  sense  of  duty  is  so  strong  as  to  over¬ 
power  all  other  considerations.  I  could  not  turn 
back  without  guilt  on  my  soul.  .  .  .  Tell  my  dear 
children,  I  love  them  dearly  and  pray  for  them  con¬ 
stantly.  Be  assured  I  love  you  most  affectionately.” 

But  the  greatest  of  all  the  difficulties  was  that  of 
securing  a  passage  for  the  missionaries.  Before,  how¬ 
ever,  referring  to  this  hindrance,  some  account  must 
here  be  given  of  the  valedictory  services  held  at 
Leicester.  The  forenoon  was  devoted  to  prayer.  In 
the  afternoon,  Thomas  himself  preached  from  the 
words,  “  Their  sorrows  shall  be  multiplied  that  hasten 


36 


WILLIAM  CAREY. 


after  another  god.”  In  the  evening,  the  Treasurer 
having  discoursed,  Andrew  Fuller,  the  Secretary, 
delivered  the  parting  charge,  from  the  text,  “  Peace  be 
unto  you  ;  as  my  Father  sent  Me  so  send  I  you.” 
Space  will  not  permit  us  to  give  more  than  the  open¬ 
ing  and  closing  sentences  of  this  solemn  address. 
“  My  very  dear  brethren,  Every  part  of  the  solemnities 
of  this  day  must  needs  be  affecting ;  but  if  there  be 
one  part  which  is  more  so  than  the  rest,  it  is  that 
which  is  allotted  to  me,  delivering  to  you  a  solemn 
parting  address.  Nevertheless,  I  must  acknowledge 
that  the  hope  of  your  undertakings  being  crowned 
with  success,  swallows  up  all  my  sorrows.  I  could, 
myself,  go  without  a  tear,  so  at  least  I  think,  and 
leave  all  my  friends  and  connections,  in  such  a 
glorious  cause.”  And  these  were  the  concluding 
remarks  :  “  Go  then,  my  dear  brethren,  stimulated  by 
these  prospects.  We  shall  meet  again.  Crowns  of 
glory  await  you  and  us.  Each,  I  trust,  will  be 
addressed  at  the  last  day  by  our  great  Redeemer, 
‘  Come,  ye  blessed  of  my  Father’;  these  were  hungry 
and  you  fed  them  ;  athirst,  and  you  gave  them  drink ; 
in  prison,  and  you  visited  them  ;  enter  ye  into  the  joy 
of  your  Lord.” 

On  inquiry  being  made  in  London  by  the  mission¬ 
aries  and  Mr.  Pearce,  “the  seraphic”  Pearce,  who 
accompanied  them,  as  to  the  means  of  departure, 
great  difficulties  soon  presented  themselves.  Influence 
was  brought  to  bear  upon  the  East  India  Company. 
Carey’s  old  friend,  the  Rev.  Thomas  Scott,  having 
removed  from  Olney  to  the  chaplaincy  of  Lock’s 
Hospital,  was  urged  to  communicate  with  Mr.  Charles 
Grant,  then  at  the  India  House,  but  to  no  purpose. 
As  it  became  evident  that  no  license  was  likely  to  be 
obtained,  it  was  resolved  to  go  if  possible  without  one. 


STARTS  FOR  INDIA. 


37 


In  such  a  matter  they  believed  they  ought  to  obey 
God  rather  than  man.  Thomas,  knowing  the  captain 
of  the  Oxford ,  which  was  then  in  the  Thames,  induced 
him  for  a  consideration  of  ,£250  to  take  the  missionary 
party  on  board  his  vessel.  The  party  consisted  of 
himself,  Mrs.  Thomas,  and  their  child,  also  Carey  and 
Felix  his  son,  who  had  agreed  to  accompany  his  father. 
The  day  fixed  for  the  departure  was  the  3rd  of  April, 
1 793,  but  the  vessel  was  delayed  for  weeks  off  the 
Isle  of  Wight ;  and,  to  their  bitter  disappointment, 
when,  after  all  the  inconvenience  and  expense  of  the 
delay,  she  was  about  to  proceed,  the  missionaries  were 
summarily  ejected  from  the  ship ;  an  anonymous 
communication  having  been  received  by  the  captain 
to  the  effect  that  it  was  known  a  person  was  going  in 
his  ship  who  had  not  obtained  a  licence  from  the 
Directors,  and  that  if  he  remained,  information  would 
be  laid  against  him.  Under  these  circumstances, 
Thomas  and  Carey,  with  those  belonging  to  them, 
were  compelled  to  quit  the  vessel. 

Carey  at  once  sent  the  bad  news  to  Fuller,  and 
Fuller  almost  gave  way  to  despair.  “  We  are  all 
undone,”  he  wrote  to  Ryland.  “  I  am  afraid,  now, 
leave  will  never  be  obtained  for  Carey  or  any  other. 
The  adventure  seems  to  be  lost.  It  is  well  if  the 
,£250  for  the  voyage  be  not  lost.” 

But  a  Divine  Providence  was  overruling  all  these 
trying  circumstances.  With  heavy  hearts  the  mission¬ 
aries  found  their  way  back  to  London.  And  whilst 
Carey  was  writing  to  his  wife,  Thomas  went  to  a 
coffee-house  to  make  inquiries  whether  any  Swedish 
or  Danish  ship  was  likely  to  sail  for  Bengal.  The 
result  was  that  a  waiter  put  into  his  hand  a  card  on 
which  he  read:  “A  Danish  East  Indiaman.  No.  10 
Cannon  Street.” 


38  WILLIAM  CAREY. 

The  effect  of  those  magic  words  may  be  more 
easily  imagined  than  described.  To  No.  io  Cannon 
Street,  Carey  and  Thomas  at  once  repaired.  The 
intimation  was  correct.  The  East  Indiaman  was 
expected  shortly  in  the  Dover  Roads.  The  terms 
would  be  ;£ioo  for  a  passenger,  £50  for  a  child,  and 
£ 2 5  for  an  attendant.  Carey  had  only  obtained 
^150  of  the  £2^0  paid  for  their  passage  on  the 
Oxford.  There  was  no  time  to  spare.  At  nine 
o’clock  at  night  the  two  men  started  for  Northampton, 
to  secure,  if  possible,  the  requisite  money.  Carey 
also  hoped  that  as  he  would  have  the  opportunity  of 
seeing  Mrs.  Carey  again,  who  had  removed  from 
Leicester  to  Piddington,  the  village  where  they  had 
formerly  lived,  her  objection  to  going  with  him  might 
be  overcome.  And  such,  to  his  great  relief  and  joy, 
was  actually  the  case  ;  for,  on  the  condition  that  her 
sister  should  go  with  them,  she  was  willing  to  give 
her  consent. 

This  pleasing  decision,  however,  involved  a  very 
large  additional  expense,  as  the  party  would  now  be 
increased  to  eight  persons,  and  the  passage  money  to 
£700.  Mr.  Ryland,  to  whom  the  missionaries  went 
on  their  arrival  at  Northampton,  had  only  about  £9 
belonging  to  the  mission,  and  between  £4.  and  £5  of 
his  own  ;  but  a  bill  had  been  sent  up  to  Mr.  Fuller, 
from  Yorkshire,  by  Mr.  Fawcett  (the  author  of 
“  Religion  is  the  Chief  Concern  ”  and  other  well 
known  hymns)  for  £200.  This  being  insufficient, 
Mr.  Ryland  at  once  sat  down  and  wrote  letters  to 
John  Newton,  who  had  removed  from  Olney  to 
London,  to  Abraham  Booth,  and  Dr.  Rippon,  begging 
them  to  find  the  rest  of  the  money  on  promise  of 
repayment.  But  Thomas  was  so  fortunate  in  his 
negotiations  with  the  captain,  suggesting  such  arrange- 


STARTS  FOR  INDIA. 


39 


ments  as  to  accommodation  that  he  agreed  to  take  the 
whole  party  for  three  hundred  guineas.  And  so,  after 
some  further  difficulty  in  getting  the  luggage,  which 
had  been  left  at  Portsmouth,  to  Dover  in  time  for  the 
sailing  of  the  vessel,  on  June  13th,  1793,  on  board  the 
Kron  Princessa  Maria ,  the  missionaries  and  their 
families  eventually  started  for  the  land  of  their 
adoption  ;  Thomas  scribbling  to  a  friend  in  London, 
“  The  ship  is  here  !  The  signal  made  ; — the  guns  are 
fired  ; — and  we  are  going  with  a  fine  fair  wind.  Fare¬ 
well,  my  dear  brethren  and  sisters,  farewell !  May 
the  God  of  Jacob  be  ours  and  yours  by  sea  and  land, 
for  time  and  eternity  ;  most  affectionately,  adieu  !” 

In  these  days  of  facility  of  travel,  when  a  voyage 
from  London  to  Bombay  may  be  accomplished  in 
three  weeks,  it  is  not  easy  to  realise  the  tediousness 
and  inconvenience  involved  in  a  five  months’  passage. 
It  was  not  until  the  9th  of  November  that  the 
missionary  party  reached  Calcutta,  after  a  somewhat 
unfavourable  voyage,  severe  storms  having  been 
encountered. 

The  time  on  board  ship  was  largely  spent  by  Carey 
in  familiarising  himself  under  Thomas’s  tuition  with 
the  Bengalee  language.  His  enthusiasm  for  the  great 
work  upon  which  he  had  gone  forth  increased  as  he 
approached  Calcutta.  Writing  home  to  the  secretary 
with  an  enlarging  heart — a  heart  like  Wesley’s  when 
he  wrote : 

“  Oh,  that  the  world  might  taste  and  see 
The  riches  of  His  grace  ! 

The  arms  of  love  that  compass  me 
Would  all  mankind  embrace  !  ” — 

he  said  :  “  Africa  is  but  a  little  way  from  England, 
Madagascar  but  a  little  farther.  South  America  and 
all  the  numerous  and  large  islands  in  the  India  and 


40 


WILLIAM  CAREY. 


China  seas,  I  hope,  will  not  be  passed  over.  A  large 
field  opens  on  every  side.  Oh,  that  many  labourers 
maybe  thrust  out  into  the  vineyard  of  our  Lord  Jesus 
Christ,  and’  that  the  Gentiles  may  come  to  the  know¬ 
ledge  of  the  truth  as  it  is  in  Him.” 


CHAPTER  IV. 

FIRST  EXPERIENCES. 

THOUGH  Thomas’s  knowledge  of  India  was  an 
advantage  to  Carey  as  he  entered  into  a 
strange  land,  it  must  be  confessed  the  latter 
had  frequent  occasion  to  lament  that  impetu¬ 
osity  and  want  of  sound  judgment  by  which,  with 
all  his  excellences,  Thomas  was  so  conspicuously 
characterised.  Carey’s  tender  affection  for  his 
colleague  and  high  regard  for  his  sincerity  and 
devotion  are  beyond  all  question  ;  but  there  is  equally 
no  question,  that  the  early  trials  of  the  mission  were 
aggravated  by  the  above  named  defects.  As  one  of 
the  serious  consequences  of  these  failings,  Thomas 
had  involved  himself  in  debt,  during  his  previous 
residence  in  India.  These  pecuniary  obligations  not 
only  embarrassed  the  circumstances  of  the  mission¬ 
aries,  but  estranged  from  Thomas,  and  as  well  from 
Carey,  some  European  Christians  who  probably 
would  otherwise  have  been  their  warmest  friends. 

On  reaching  Calcutta  the  first  necessity  was  to 
realise  their  investments.  The  £150  granted  by  the 

41 


42 


WILLIAM  CAREY. 


Society  for  their  support  had  been  invested  in  articles 
of  merchandise.  Thomas  undertook  their  re-sale  and 
realised  to  advantage.  At  first  it  appeared  as  if 
circumstances  would  favour  their  settlement  in  the 
city.  Thomas  was  advised  to  pursue  his  medical 
profession  ;  and  Carey  had  the  prospect  of  securing  a 
situation  at  the  Company’s  Botanical  Garden.  The 
vacancy,  however,  became  filled  by  another  applicant. 

Calcutta,  as  a  place  of  residence,  being  found  too 
expensive  for  their  resources,  the  missionaries  removed 
to  Bandel,  a  village  close  to  the  town  of  Hooghly. 
The  change  was  not  advantageous,  as  the  place 
afforded  no  opportunity  for  the  development  of 
Carey’s  great  missionary  ideas,  being  for  the  most 
part  a  place  of  resort  for  Europeans  from  Calcutta. 
What  were  these  ideas  ?  He  had  stated  them  in  his 
pamphlet.  They  may  be  summed  up  in  his  own 
terse  phrase,  in  which  upon  review  he  expressed  his 
continued  approval  of  them  :  “  A  missionary  must  be 
one  of  the  companions  and  equals  of  the  people  to 
whom  he  is  sent.” 

But  whilst  we  must  content  ourselves  with  this 
admirable  summary,  an  extract  may  be  given  showing 
his  views  upon  the  question  of  the  subsistence  of 
missionaries.  “  As  to  the  difficulty  of  procuring  the 
necessaries  of  life,  this  would  not  be  so  great  as  may 
appear  at  first  sight ;  for  though  we  could  not  procure 
European  food,  yet  we  might  procure  such  as  the 
natives  of  those  countries  which  we  visit  subsist  upon 
themselves.  It  might  be  necessary,  however,  for  two, 
at  least,  to  go  together  ;  and  in  general  I  should  think 
it  best  that  they  should  be  married  men,  and,  to 
prevent  their  time  being  employed  in  procuring 
necessaries,  two  or  more  other  persons,  with  their 
wives  and  families,  might  also  accompany  them,  who 


GENERAL  VIEW  OF  CALCUTTA. 


44 


WILLIAM  CAREY. 


should  be  wholly  employed  in  providing  for  them. 
In  most  countries  it  would  be  necessary  for  them  to 
cultivate  a  little  spot  of  ground,  just  for  their  support, 
which  would  be  a  resource  to  them,  whenever  their 
supplies  failed.  Not  to  mention  the  advantage  they 
would  reap  from  each  other’s  company,  it  would  take 
off  the  enormous  expense,  which  has  always  attended 
undertakings  of  this  kind,  the  first  expense  being  the 
whole  ;  for  though  a  large  colony  needs  support  for  a 
considerable  time,  yet  so  small  a  number  would,  upon 
receiving  the  first  crop,  maintain  themselves.  They 
would  have  the  advantage  of  choosing  their  situation, 
their  wants  would  be  few ;  the  women  and  even  the 
children  would  be  necessary  for  domestic  purposes. 
.  .  .  Those  who  attend  the  missionaries  should  under¬ 
stand  husbandry,  fishing,  fowling,  &c.,  and  be  provided 
with  the  necessary  implements  for  these  purposes.” 

Bandel  afforded  no  facility  whatever  for  proceeding 
upon  these  missionary  principles.  The  time  for  their 
application  had  not  yet  come,  so  Thomas  and  Carey 
returned  to  Calcutta,  after  visiting  for  a  short  time  a 
place  called  Nuddea,  where  indeed  Carey  hoped  to 
have  built  himself  a  hut,  and  to  have  lived  like  the 
natives. 

On  their  return  to  the  city  Thomas  resumed  his 
practice  as  a  doctor  ;  and  Carey  obtained  from  one  of 
Thomas’s  money-lenders  the  use  of  a  miserable 
garden-house  in  one  of  the  suburbs.  The  trials  which 
Carey  at  this  time  had  to  endure  were  many  and 
bitter.  We  have  seen  that  in  his  earlier  life  he  was  no 
stranger  to  poverty,  but  in  no  period  had  he  been 
brought  to  such  straits  as  those  he  now  experienced. 
What  pathos  is  there  in  this  lamentation :  “  I  am  in  a 
strange  land  alone,  no  Christian  friend,  a  large  family, 
and  nothing  to  supply  their  wants.”  And  besides 


FIRST  EXPERIENCES. 


45 


these  straitened  means,  his  wife  and  two  of  his 
children  were  attacked  with  dysentery.  But  with  all 
these  adversities  there  was  no  failing  of  heart.  His 
holy  courage  never  flinched.  He  knew  whom  he 
trusted.  “  All  my  friends  are  but  one  ”  wrote  this 
undaunted  hero,  “  I  rejoice,  however,  that  He  is  all 
sufficient,  and  can  supply  all  my  wants  temporal  and 
spiritual.  Things  may  turn  out  better  than  I  expect. 
Everything  is  known  to  God,  and  God  cares  for  the 
mission.  Oh  for  contentment  and  delight  in  God,  and 
much  of  His  fear  before  my  eyes !  Bless  God,  I  feel 
peace  within,  and  rejoice  in  having  undertaken  the 
work.  I  anxiously  desire  the  time  when  I  shall  so 
far  know  the  language,  as  to  preach  in  earnest  to 
these  poor  people.” 

Ever  since  his  arrival  in  the  country,  Carey  had 
been  under  the  tuition  of  Ram  Bosoo,  one  of  Thomas’s 
inquirers,  with  a  view  to  the  acquisition  of  the 
vernacular.  During  the  absence  of  Thomas  from 
India,  this  man  in  very  trying  circumstances  had  fallen 
again  into  idolatry,  but  Carey  believing  that  he  was 
penitent  engaged  him  as  his  pundit ;  and  under  his 
teaching  he  made,  as  was  only  to  be  expected  from 
his  linguistic  abilities,  the  most  satisfactory  progress. 
Whilst  in  Calcutta,  Carey  heard  of  some  land  in  the 
Soonderbuns,  which  it  would  be  possible  to  secure 
gratis  for  three  years,  a  small  rent  being  required 
after  the  expiration  of  that  period.  It  was  jungle- 
land  and  would  of  course  need  to  be  cleared.  The 
use  of  a  bungalow,  at  a  place  called  Dehatta,  was 
offered  him  until  such  time  as  he  could  get  a 
dwelling-house  made  for  himself  and  his  family.  He 
was  most  anxious  to  accept  this  offer,  but  how  could 
he  reach  Dehatta  without  means?  Again  and  again 
he  endeavoured  to  borrow  the  requisite  funds.  At 


4  6 


WILLIAM  CAREY. 


length,  with  Ram  Bosoo  as  his  guide,  he  set  out  in  a 
boat,  taking  with  him  his  family,  whose  reluctance  to 
leave  Calcutta  and  go  forth  not  knowing  whither 
they  went  added  to  the  bitterness  of  his  cup. 

When  they  had  proceeded  about  forty  miles  in  an 
easterly  direction,  a  house  apparently  English-built 
attracted  their  attention.  Upon  Ram  Bosoo  stating 
that  it  was  occupied  by  an  English  gentleman,  Carey 
resolved  to  call  upon  him.  And  with  that  hospi¬ 
tableness  for  which  Europeans  have  been  generally 
distinguished,  the  gentleman  gave  the  missionary 
party  a  most  hearty  welcome,  telling  Carey  that  “  he 
might  stop  for  half-a-year  or  longer  if  he  pleased.” 

Notwithstanding  this  kind  invitation,  a  suitable 
spot  in  the  jungle-land  was  selected,  the  land  was 
cleared  and  very  soon  a  hut  was  in  process 
of  erection.  Describing  the  place,  Carey  wrote, 
“  Although  the  country  is  an  excellent  soil,  it  has 
been  lately  almost  deserted,  on  account  of  the  tigers 
and  other  beasts  of  prey  which  infest  the  place  ;  but 
these  are  all  afraid  of  a  gun,  and  will  soon  be 
expelled  ;  the  people  therefore  are  not  afraid  when 
a  European  is  nigh.  We  shall  have  all  the  necessaries 
of  life  except  bread,  for  which  rice  must  be  a  sub¬ 
stitute.  Wild  hogs,  deer  and  fowl  are  to  be  procured 
by  the  gun  and  must  supply  us  with  a  considerable 
part  of  our  food.  I  find  an  inconvenience  in  having 
so  much  of  my  time  necessarily  taken  up  in  procuring 
provisions,  and  cultivating  my  little  farm.  But  when 
my  little  house  is  built,  I  shall  have  more  leisure 
than  at  present,  and  have  daily  opportunities  of 
conversing  with  the  natives  and  pursuing  the  work  of 
the  Mission.” 

It  was  not,  however,  in  the  Soonderbuns  that 
Carey  was  to  pursue  his  missionary  life.  God,  in 


FIRST  EXPERIENCES. 


47 


His  providence,  was  about  to  direct  his  course 
elsewhere.  At  Malda,  some  200  miles  distant,  was 
a  Mr.  George  Udny.  This  Christian  gentleman  had 
been  a  warm  friend  of  Thomas,  contributing,  during 
his  former  residence  in  India,  very  largely  to  his 
support  The  aid,  however,  had  been  withdrawn 
owing  to  Thomas’s  eccentricities.  But  a  sad  calamity 
occurred  in  Mr.  Udny’s  family,  his  brother  and  his 
brother’s  wife  having  been  drowned  whilst  crossing 
the  Hooghly.  Thomas,  hearing  of  the  incident,  at 
once  repaired  to  his  former  friend.  Notwithstanding 
the  estrangement  that  had  arisen,  the  interview  was 
of  a  most  truly  Christian  character,  and  resulted  in 
the  old  intimacy  being  renewed.  This  visit  of  conso¬ 
lation  had  most  important  results. 

Mr.  Udny  was  an  indigo  manufacturer ;  and  at 
this  particular  time  was  erecting  two  additional 
factories  which  would  each  require  a  manager.  The 
positions  were  offered  respectively  to  Carey  and 
Thomas.  The  offers,  being  regarded  as  providential, 
were  accepted;  and  so  the  two  men  proceeded  to 
their  new  abodes,  Carey  feeling  as  if  he  were  released 
from  prison.  This  took  place  in  June,  1794. 

The  factory  which  Carey  was  to  superintend  was  at 
Mudnabatty;  and  besides  a  salary  of  200  rupees 
per  month,  he  was  promised  a  commission  upon  the 
sales.  No  sooner  did  he  find  himself  in  these  favour¬ 
able  circumstances  than  he  at  once  communicated 
with  Mr.  Fuller,  the  Secretary  of  the  Society,  that  he 
should  not  need  any  more  supplies,  having  a  suffi¬ 
ciency,  but  expressing  the  hope  that  another  mission 
would  be  begun  elsewhere. 

The  duties  at  the  factory  allowed  time  for  his  other 
pursuits,  indeed  he  was  at  leisure  the  greater  part  of 
the  year  for  the  business  of  the  Mission.  The  capacity 


48 


WILLIAM  CAREY. 


for  work  which  had  ever  distinguished  him  became 
now  most  conspicuous.  He  made  such  progress  in 
Bengalee  as  to  be  able  to  preach  intelligibly  half-an- 
hour  together.  His  occupation  taking  him  frequently 
into  the  surrounding  country,  he  had  opportunities  for 
speaking  to  the  natives,  which  he  never  failed  to 
improve.  He  commenced  a  school,  and  worked  so 
vigorously  at  his  translation,  that  in  August  of  the 
same  year  he  wrote  to  England  :  “  I  intend  to  send 
you  soon  a  copy  of  Genesis,  Matthew,  Mark,  and  James 
in  Bengalee,  with  a  small  vocabulary  and  grammar 
of  the  language  in  manuscript,  of  my  own  composing.” 

In  the  following  month  these  prodigious  labours 
were  interrupted  by  illness.  Fever  prostrated  him. 
And  as  he  did  not  recover,  Mr.  Udny  proposed  that 
he  and  Thomas  should  go  in  his  pinnace  towards 
Thibet ;  at  the  same  time  search  was  to  be  made  for 
eligible  spots  where  other  factories  might  be  built. 
The  fever  did  not  leave  him  until  a  month  after  his 
return.  But  though  he  recovered  himself,  he  was 
called  to  part  with  his  little  boy,  Peter,  a  child  of 
five  years.  Referring  to  the  difficulty  attending  the 
burial  of  his  child,  owing  to  the  superstitions  of  the 
people,  he  remarks  : — • 

“  When  my  dear  little  boy  died  I  could  not  prevail 
upon  any  one  to  make  him  a  coffin,  though  we  had 
carpenters  in  our  own  employ.  With  difficulty 
I  engaged  four  Mussulmen  to  dig  a  grave  for  him. 
No  one  would  undertake  it  alone,  and  therefore  so 
many  of  them  went  together,  that  they  might  all 
have  an  equal  share  of  shame.  We  sent  seven  or 
eight  miles  for  two  persons  to  carry  him  to  the 
grave,  but  in  vain,  and  my  wife  and  I  had  agreed  to 
do  it  ourselves,  when  a  lad  who  had  lost  caste  and 
our  mater  (a  servant  who  performs  the  most  servile 


FIRST  EXPERIENCES. 


49 


offices)  were  induced  to  relieve  us  from  this  painful 
service.  This  was  on  Saturday,  and  on  Monday  the 
four  Mussulmen  came  and  told  us  they  had  lost  caste 
for  digging  the  grave,  and  that  the  Mundul,  or  head 
man  of  their  village,  had  forbidden  any  of  the  people 
to  eat,  drink,  or  smoke  with  them.” 

Carey  continued  at  Mudnabatty  until  the  year  1799. 
Sometime  previous  to  this  date,  owing  to  circum¬ 
stances  over  which  he  had  no  control — bad  seasons, 
disastrous  floods,  the  seizure  of  a  very  valuable  cargo 
by  French  privateers,  and  the  failure  of  his  brother — 
Mr.  Udny’s  commercial  position  had  become  seriously 
affected.  And  it  being  evident  that  the  factory  at 
Mudnabatty  could  not  be  continued,  Carey  wrote  in 
the  following  strain  to  Mr.  Fuller  : — “  The  experience 
obtained  here,  I  look  upon  as  the  very  thing  which 
will  tend  to  support  the  Mission.  I  know  now  all 
the  methods  of  agriculture  that  are  in  use.  I  know 
the  tricks  of  the  natives,  and  the  nature  of  the 
lowest  rate  of  housekeeping  in  this  country.  Having 
had  a  monthly  allowance,  I  have  made  all  experi¬ 
ments  on  these  heads,  which  could  not  have  been 
made  without  ruin  had  I  not  had  these  resources,  and 
I  will  now  propose  to  you  what  I  would  recommend 
to  the  Society ;  you  will  find  it  similar  to  what  the 
Moravians  do.  Seven  or  eight  families  can  be 
maintained  for  nearly  the  same  expense  as  one,  if 
this  method  be  pursued.  I  then  earnestly  entreat 
the  Society  to  set  their  faces  this  way  and  send  out 
more  missionaries.  We  ought  to  be  seven  or  eight 
families  together ;  and  it  is  absolutely  necessary  for 
the  wives  of  missionaries  to  be  as  hearty  in  their 
work  as  their  husbands.  Our  families  should  be 
considered  nurseries  for  the  Mission  ;  and  among  us 
should  be  a  person  capable  of  teaching  school,  so  as 

D 


WILLIAM  CAREY. 


SO 

to  educate  our  children.  I  recommend  all  living 
together,  in  a  number  of  little  straw  houses,  forming 
a  line  or  square,  and  of  having  nothing  of  our  own, 
but  all  general  stock.  One  or  two  should  be  elected 
stewards  to  preside  over  all  the  management,  which 
should,  with  respect  to  eating,  drinking,  worship, 
learning,  preaching  excursions,  &c.,  be  reduced  to 
fixed  rules.”  Such  was  Carey’s  plan,  a  plan  which 
was  hereafter  to  be  the  foundation  of  the  missionary 
life  and  work  at  the  celebrated  Serampore. 

These  views  as  to  self-support  enunciated  from  the 
first  in  the  Enquiry,  had  not  fully  commended  them¬ 
selves  to  certain  of  the  Committee  at  home.  There 
was  a  fear  lest  the  missionaries  might  become  too 
much  absorbed  in  worldly  affairs.  Hence  the 
Secretary  had  occasionally  been  instructed  to  admon¬ 
ish  with  affectionate  but  decided  counsels.  Some  of 
the  larger-hearted  members  entertained  no  such  fear. 
It  is  therefore  all  the  more  to  the  credit  of  the 
brethren  in  England  that  they  should  have  passed 
the  following  resolution  as  soon  as  they  heard  of  the 
cessation  of  Carey’s  means  of  income  : — “  That  our 
brethren  having  in  a  disinterested  manner  declined 
their  ordinary  income  from  us,  at  a  time  when  they 
thought  they  could  do  without  it,  and  various  unfore¬ 
seen  circumstances  having  since  occurred,  which 
render  it  necessary  that  we  afford  them  substantial 
assistance — the  arrears  of  the  salary,  which  for  a  time 
they  have  voluntarily  declined,  be  made  good  by  the 
Society.” 

And  not  only  was  the  Society  willing  to  renew  its 
support,  but  the  committee  had,  previous  to  the 
passing  of  this  resolution,  sent  out  an  additional 
missionary  in  the  person  of  Mr.  Fountain,  whose 
arrival  was  a  cause  of  great  encouragement 


FIRST  EXPERIENCES. 


Si 

Being  compelled  to  remove  from  Mudnabatty, 
Carey  opened  a  factory  at  Kidderpore  on  his  own 
account.  But  events  were  working  together  to  bring 
the  adventure  to  a  speedy  end. 

This  chapter  may  fittingly  close  with  two  or  three 
extracts  from  the  journal  which  Carey  kept  whilst  at 
Mudnabatty,  revealing  as  they  do  the  manner  of  man 
he  was : — 

“Nov.  24-30,  1794.  During  these  days,  having  no 
one  to  speak  to,  and  many  hours  in  which  no 
business  could  be  done,  I  found  my  soul  drawn  out 
after  the  Lord  :  I  was  enabled  to  be  instant  in  prayer 
for  the  success  of  my  ministry  among  the  heathen, 
the  success  of  my  colleague,  and  for  all  my  dear 
friends  in  England,  who  lie  very  near  my  heart ; 
especially  for  the  church  at  Leicester,  and  our  Mission 
Society.  I  was  much  engaged  for  many  by  name, 
and  was  greatly  affected  with  what  might  be  their 
probable  situations  both  spiritual  and  temporal. 
I  had  intended  to  go  and  preach  to  more  of  the 
inhabitants  of  these  parts,  but  a  return  of  the  fever 
prevented  me.” 

“Feb.  3,  1795.  This  is  indeed  the  Valley  of  the 
Shadow  of  Death  to  me.  Oh  what  would  I  give  for 
kind  sympathetic  friends,  such  as  I  had  in  England, 
to  whom  I  might  open  my  heart !  But  I  rejoice  that 
I  am  here  notwithstanding,  and  God  is  here ,  who  can 
not  only  have  compassion,  but  is  also  able  to  save  to 
the  uttermost.” 

“  May  9.  For  the  last  three  Sabbaths  my  soul  has 
been  much  comforted  in  seeing  so  large  a  congrega¬ 
tion,  more  especially  as  many  attend  who  are  not  our 
own  workmen,  from  the  parts  adjacent,  whose  attend¬ 
ance  must  be  wholly  disinterested.  I  therefore  now 


52 


WILLIAM  CAREY. 


rejoice  in  seeing  a  regular  congregation  composed  of 
from  two  to  six  hundred  people,  of  all  descriptions, 
Mussulmen,  Brahmins,  and  other  classes  of  Hindoos, 
which  I  look  upon  as  a  favourable  token  from  God. 
I  this  day  attempted  to  preach  to  them  more  regu¬ 
larly  from  Luke  iv.  1 8,  “The  Spirit  of  the  Lord  is 
upon  Me,  because  He  hath  anointed  Me  to  preach 
the  Gospel  to  the  poor,”  &c.,  in  which  discourse 
I  endeavoured  to  prove  the  miserable  state  of  uncon¬ 
verted  man,  as  spiritually  poor,  as  bound  by  a  sinful 
disposition,  and  by  pernicious  customs,  and  vain 
expectations  of  happiness  from  false  and  idolatrous 
worship.  I  also  took  occasion  to  observe  that  both 
in  the  Shasters  and  Koran  there  were  many  good 
observations  and  rules,  such  as  ought  to  be  regarded, 
but  that  one  thing  they  could  not  inform  us  of — viz., 
how  God  can  forgive  sin  consistently  with  His  justice, 
and  save  sinners  in  a  way  in  which  justice  and  mercy 
could  harmonize.  ...  I  felt  my  own  soul  warmed,  and 
hope  for  good.  God  has  given  me,  of  late,  a  greater 
concern  for  the  salvation  of  the  heathen,  and  I  have 
been  enabled  to  make  it  a  more  importunate  request 
at  the  throne  of  grace.” 

“  Blessed  be  God  that  we  have  at  last  received 
letters  and  other  articles  from  our  dear  friends  in 
England.  I  rejoice  to  hear  of  the  welfare  of  Zion. 
I  bless  God  that  Leicester  people  go  on  well.  Oh, 
may  they  increase  more  and  more.  Letters  from 
dear  brethren,  Fuller,  Pearce,  Morris,  and  Rippon  ; 
but  why  not  from  others  ?  ” 

“June  14.  I  hope  and  long  for  the  blessing  of  God 
among  us.  Though  it  is  painful  to  preach  among 
careless  heathens,  I  feel  preaching  the  Gospel  to  be 
the  element  of  my  soul.” 


CHAPTER  V. 

REMOVAL  TO  SERAMPORE. 

ON  the  right  bank  of  the  river  Hooghly,  fifteen 
miles  above  Calcutta,  was  the  little  Danish 
settlement  of  Serampore,  which  for  many  years 
was  destined  to  become  the  home  of  the 
missionaries.  In  the  year  1755,  two  years  before  the 
decisive  battle  of  Plassey,  by  which  victory  the 
foundation  of  the  British  Empire  in  India  was  laid,  a 
few  traders  from  Denmark  purchased  from  the  Nabob 
of  Moorshedabad  a  plot  of  land  consisting  of  twenty 
acres,  on  which  they  erected  a  factory.  This  settle¬ 
ment,  thus  originated,  grew  in  size  and  influence.  In 
1799,  at  the  time  when  it  afforded  protection  to  the 
missionaries,  it  had  reached  its  highest  commercial 
prosperity. 

We  must  now  narrate  the  circumstances  which  led 
to  the  association  of  Serampore  with  the  great 
missionary  enterprise. 

The  zeal  of  the  godly  men  in  this  country,  who  had 
solemnly  promised  “  to  hold  the  ropes,”  was  much 
encouraged  by  the  deeply  interesting  accounts 

53 


54 


WILLIAM  CAREY. 


received  from  the  brethren  abroad.  Andrew  Fuller 
and  his  associates  were  most  assiduous.  By  their 
efforts  no  less  than  four  new  missionaries  were 
secured.  These  were  Grant,  Brunsden,  Marshman, 
and  Ward ;  the  last  two  of  whom  were  to  form, 
with  Carey,  the  noble  Serampore  triumvirate. 

The  hostility  of  the  East  India  Company  to  the 
residence  of  missionaries  in  India  had  now  become  so 
'  decided  that  it  was  thought  useless  to  apply  to  the 
Directors  for  a  licence.  But  as  in  the  case  of  Carey’s 
departure,  so  again,  the  providence  of  God  appeared 
on  behalf  of  the  mission.  An  American  vessel,  The 
Criterion ,  under  the  command  of  Mr.  Wickes,  a  most 
worthy  Presbyterian,  was  about  to  sail  for  Calcutta. 
This  excellent  Christian  man  was  not  only  willing  to 
take  on  board  the  missionary  party — eight  in  number, 
including  besides  the  missionaries,  Mrs.  Marshman, 
Mrs.  Grant,  Mrs.  Brunsden,  and  Miss  Tidd,  to  be 
married  to  Mr.  Fountain — but  felt  himself  greatly 
honoured  in  being  privileged  to  convey  such  passen¬ 
gers.  On  their  arrival  at  Calcutta,  according  to  the 
counsel  they  had  received  from  Mr.  Charles  Grant, 
they  did  not  land  in  the  city,  but  proceeded  at  once 
to  the  Danish  settlement.  The  Governor,  Colonel 
Bie,  was,  most  fortunately,  a  Christian  man,  having 
been  formerly  under  the  religious  instruction  of  the 
devoted  Schwartz ;  and  to  him  they  presented  a 
letter  of  introduction  which  they  had  procured  before 
their  departure  from  the  Danish  Consul  in  London. 
The  Governor  welcomed  them  with  the  greatest 
cordiality,  and  assured  them  of  his  protection. 

Their  entrance  into  the  country  was  not,  however, 
to  be  thus  quietly  effected.  The  report  of  their 
arrival  having  been  brought  before  the  notice  of  the 
Governor- General,  Lord  Wellesley,  inquiry  became 


REMOVAL  TO  SERAMPORE, 


55 


officially  necessary.  One  curious  mis-statement  made 
the  inquiry  urgent.  The  editor  of  a  newspaper,  in 
his  ignorance,  confounding  Baptist  with  Papist, 
announced  the  arrival  of  “  four  Papist  missionaries.” 
It  was  thus  concluded  that  the  new  comers  were 
French  spies  taking  advantage  of  Serampore  as  foreign 
territory.  Further  inquiry  speedily  satisfied  Lord 
Wellesley  that  the  supposed  Papists  were  very  humble 
and  perfectly  harmless  Protestants  ;  and  so  the  four 
brethren  were  allowed  to  remain  unmolested. 

It  was  the  intention  of  Carey  that  the  newly  arrived 
missionaries  should  come  to  him  at  Kidderpore  ;  but 
this  was  not  to  be.  Though  there  was  no  interference 
with  their  residence  at  Serampore,  the  Company 
refused  to  permit  them  to  proceed  to  Kidderpore,  that 
being  British  territory.  Carey  himself  was  there 
simply  as  an  indigo  factor,  and  Fountain  as  Carey’s 
assistant.  The  Rev.  David  Brown,  the  chaplain  of  the 
Military  Orphan  Society,  brought  to  bear  his  influence, 
but  without  effect.  The  refusal  was  absolute  ;  where¬ 
upon  Colonel  Bie  offered  them  a  permanent  home  in 
Serampore,  expressing  a  very  strong  desire  that  the 
mission  should  be  established  in  the  Danish  settle¬ 
ment. 

In  furtherance  of  this  project,  he  granted  a  pass¬ 
port  to  Ward,  enabling  him  to  visit  Carey  for  the 
purpose  of  consultation.  In  company  with  Fountain, 
who  had  been  to  Calcutta  to  be  married  to  Miss  Tidd, 
Ward  at  once  proceeded  to  Mudnabatty.  The  inter¬ 
view  is  thus  described  : — “Lord’s  Day,  December  ist. 
This  morning  we  left  the  boat,  and  walked  a  mile  and 
a-half  to  brother  Carey’s.  I  felt  very  unusual  sensa¬ 
tions  as  I  drew  near  the  house.  So  near  to  brother 
Carey,  after  a  voyage  of  15,000  miles,  and  a  tedious, 
passage  up  the  river,  in  our  present  circumstances.  .  . 


56 


WILLIAM  CAREY. 


What  an  interesting  situation !  The  sight  of  the 
house  increased  my  perturbation.  We  met  Harry 
Charron.  At  length  I  saw  Carey!  He  is  less  altered 
than  I  expected  ;  has  rather  more  flesh  than  when  in 
England,  and,  blessed  be  God !  he  is  a  young  man 
still!  He  lives  in  a  large  brick  house,  two  storeys 
high,  with  mat  doors  and  Venetian  windows,  situated 
in  a  small  village  (Mudnabatty),  thirty  miles  almost 
from  any  European.  We  arrived  in  time  for  morning 
worship  ;  it  consisted  of  an  exposition  in  Bengalee, 
concluding  with  prayer.” 

The  next  day  the  question  of  removal  was  dis¬ 
cussed,  and  Carey  became  fully  convinced  that  it 
would  be  every  way  to  the  advantage  of  the  Mission  if 
its  seat  were  henceforth  to  be  at  Serampore.  Before 
leaving,  Carey  and  Ward  paid  several  visits  in  the 
neighbourhood,  one  of  which  was  to  the  Rajmahal  hills. 
“This  day,”  says  Ward,  “brother  Carey  and  I  went 
up  the  Rajmahal  hills,  where  a  different  race  of  people 
live,  supposed  by  many  to  be  the  aborigines  of  this 
country.  The  foot  of  the  hills  is  about  eight  miles 
from  Serasing.  These  people  have  no  castes,  priests, 
or  public  religion.  We  went  to  two  villages  on  the 
hills,  and  brother  Carey  was  able  to  converse  with 
the  inhabitants  in  Hindoostanee.  They  live  princi¬ 
pally  upon  Indian  corn  and  by  hunting.  They 
continually  carry  their  bow  and  arrows  with  them. 
An  European  would  evidently  be  well  received,  and 
listened  to  with  eagerness.  I  long  to  stay  here,  to 
tell  these  social  and  untutored  heathens  the  good 
news  from  heaven.  I  have  a  strong  persuasion  that 
the  doctrine  of  a  dying  Saviour  would,  in  the  hands 
of  the  Holy  Spirit,  melt  their  hearts.” 

On  the  ioth  of  January,  1800,  Carey  with  his  wife, 
who  was  in  a  most  trying  condition  of  health,  and  his 


REMOVAL  TO  SERAMPORE. 


57 


four  children,  reached  Serampore,  and  was  duly 
presented  to  the  Governor,  who  received  him  with  the 
greatest  friendliness.  Efforts  had  previously  been 
made  to  provide  a  suitable  home,  but  in  vain.  It  was 
resolved  to  build  six  mat  houses,  of  three  or  four 
rooms  each,  a  school,  a  place  of  worship,  and  a 
printing-office.  The  ground,  however,  upon  which  it 
was  intended  to  erect  these  premises  was  found 
inadequate.  At  this  juncture,  a  large  house  in  the 
middle  of  the  town  became  purchasable,  and  was 
secured.  Again  to  quote  Mr.  Ward  :  “  We  hoped  to 
have  been  able  to  purchase  land  and  build  mat  houses 
upon  it,  but  we  can  get  none  properly  situated.  We 
have  in  consequence  purchased  of  the  Governor’s 
nephew  a  large  house  in  the  middle  of  the  town  for 
6000  rupees,  or  about  ^800;  the  rent  in  four  years 
would  have  amounted  to  the  purchase.  It  consists 
of  a  spacious  verandah  (portico)  and  hall,  with  two 
rooms  on  each  side.  Rather  more  to  the  front  are 
two  other  rooms  separate,  and  on  one  side  is  a 
store-house,  separate  also,  which  will  make  a  printing- 
office.  It  stands  by  the  river  side  upon  a  pretty  large 
piece  of  ground,  walled  round  with  a  garden  at  the 
bottom,  and  in  the  middle  is  a  fine  tank  or  pool  of 
water.  The  price  alarmed  us,  but  we  had  no  alterna¬ 
tive,  and  we  hope  this  will  form  a  comfortable 
missionary  settlement.  Being  near  to  Calcutta,  it  is 
of  the  utmost  importance  to  our  school,  our  press,  and 
our  connection  with  England.”  Such  for  many  years 
was  to  be  the  future  home  of  the  Mission. 

Whilst  at  Mudnabatty,  Carey  had  been  fortunate  in 
obtaining  a  printing-press  which  he  had  seen  adver¬ 
tised  in  a  Calcutta  newspaper.  This  invaluable 
machine  was  of  course  removed  to  the  new  home, 
thereafter  to  render  the  most  important  service. 


58 


WTLLTAM  CAREY. 


To  celebrate  the  goodness  of  God  as  manifested  in 
these  movements  of  His  providence,  a  day  was  set 
apart  for  special  thanksgiving.  Before  the  service 
ended,  besides  presenting  an  address  to  their  faithful 
friend,  the  Governor  of  the  settlement,  the  missionaries 
sent  an  expression  of  their  gratitude  to  His  Majesty, 
Frederick  the  Sixth  of  Denmark,  to  which  a  most 
gracious  reply  was  returned,  assuring  the  mission¬ 
aries  of  the  great  pleasure  it  gave  the  king  to  have 
them  in  his  territory,  and  promising  future  protection. 

A  brief  biographical  notice  of  two  of  the  new 
missionaries — viz.,  Ward  and  Marshman,  with  whom 
Carey  was  to  be  so  intimately  connected,  will  not  be 
out  of  place.  We  say  two  ;  for,  in  a  short  time  after 
their  arrival,  Grant  and  Brunsden  were  removed  by 
death,  as  was  also  Fountain,  whose  decease  took  place 
at  Dinagepore,  in  which  district  he  was  seeking  to 
extend  the  Mission.  In  the  extract  in  which  Ward 
describes  his  visit  to  Carey  at  Mudnabatty,  it  will 
have  been  observed  that  he  referred  to  an  earlier 
acquaintance.  Just  before  his  departure  to  India 
Carey  had  met  with  William  Ward,  who  at  that  time 
was  a  printer  in  a  large  establishment  at  Derby ;  and 
with  almost  prophetic  earnestness  he  had  addressed 
him  with  these  remarkable  words,  “  If  the  Lord  bless 
us,  we  shall  want  a  person  of  your  business  to 
enable  us  to  print  the  Scripture  ;  I  hope  you  will 
come  after  us.”  What  influence  this  utterance  may 
have  had  in  determining  his  after  life,  who  can  tell  ? 
“  Cast  forth  thy  word,”  says  Carlyle,  “  into  the  ever 
living,  ever  acting  universe  ;  it  is  a  seed  grain  that 
cannot  die.” 

Having  thoroughly  acquainted  himself  with  every 
branch  of  the  printing  trade,  William  Ward  undertook 
the  editorship  of  his  master’s  paper,  The  Derby 


REMOVAL  TO  SERAMFORE. 


59 


Mercury ,  which  greatly  flourished  under  his  manage¬ 
ment.  This  position  he  relinquished  for  the  same 
duty  in  connection  with  the  Hull  Advertiser.  Whilst 
editing  this  journal  he  received  a  visit  from  the 
philanthropist  Clarkson,  with  the  object  of  enlisting 
his  sympathies  on  behalf  of  the  anti-slavery  move¬ 
ment.  Very  little  argument  was  needed  to  secure 
his  influence  ;  and  indeed  so  persistently  and  fully  did 
he  lend  his  aid  that  his  journal  greatly  suffered  in 
consequence.  In  1797  William  Ward  relinquished  all 
his  temporal  prospects,  and  resolved  to  enter  the 
ministry.  He  was  recommended  to  become  a  student 
at  Elwood  Hall,  the  residence  of  the  Rev.  Dr.  Fawcett. 
“  In  the  midst  of  my  employments  and  pleasures,”  he 
says,  “  I  received  an  invitation  to  go  to  Elwood  Hall 
— to  leave  Hull  perhaps  for  ever!  Conscience 
commands  me  to  go,  to  enter  on  a  new  line  of  life ; 
to  combat  difficulties  and  prejudices  ;  to  be  subject  to 
the  cavils  of  the  bigots  and  the  frowns  of  the 
dissipated  ;  to  incur  the  displeasure  of  the  mermaids 
of  professors,  half  sinners  half  saints  ;  to  live,  perhaps, 
on  thirty  pounds  a  year  ;  to  warn  men  night  and  day 
with  tears ;  to  tremble  lest  I  myself  should  prove  a 
castaway.” 

Dr.  Fawcett  being  a  member  of  the  Missionary 
Committee,  and  knowing  how  anxiously  Carey  was 
looking  for  helpers,  very  naturally  considered  whether 
any  of  the  students  under  his  tuition  possessed  the 
requisite  qualifications.  It  appeared  to  him  that 
William  Ward  was  admirably  adapted  ;  and  so,  after 
conversing  with  him  many  times  upon  the  subject  of 
missions,  negotiations  were  opened  up  with  Mr.  Fuller  ; 
the  result  being  an  offer  of  service  which  was  accepted. 
“  I  know  not  whether  you  will  be  able  to  remember,” 
wrote  Ward  to  Carey  after  his  acceptance  “a  young 


Go 


WILLIAM  CAREY. 


man,  a  printer,  walking  with  you  from  Rippon’s 
Chapel  one  Lord’s  Day,  and  conversing  with  you  on 
your  journey  to  India.  But  that  person  is  coming  to 
see  you,  and  that  person  is  the  writer  of  this  letter. 
His  services  were  accepted  by  the  Society  on  the  16th 
(October,  1798).  It  was  a  happy  meeting.  The 
missionary  spirit  was  all  alive.  Brother  Pearce  set  the 
whole  chapel  in  flame,  and  had  missionaries  been 
wanted,  I  should  suppose  we  might  have  had  a  cargo 
immediately.  Some  time  in  the  spring  I  hope  to 
embark  with  others.  It  is  in  my  heart  to  live  and  die 
with  you,  to  spend  and  be  spent  with  you.  1  trust 
I  shall  have  your  prayers  that  I  may  have  a  safe 
journey  to  you,  and  may  be  refreshed  by  your  presence  ; 
and  that  God  may  make  me  faithful  unto  death,  and 
give  me  patience,  fortitude,  zeal,  and  vital  godliness 
enough  for  the  great  work.” 

The  other  new  missionary  was  Joshua  Marshman. 
His  father  was  a  deacon  of  the  Baptist  Church  at 
Westbury  Leigh.  The  locality  afforded  meagre 
educational  advantages,  but  the  child’s  eagerness  for 
reading  was  most  keen.  By  the  time  he  was  twelve 
years  of  age  he  had  borrowed  and  read  more  than  a 
hundred  volumes  of  such  works  as  the  following — 
Voltaire’s.  “  Candidus,”  “Josephus”  in  twenty  quarto 
numbers,  “  The  Survey  of  England  ”  in  six  volumes, 
Neal’s  “  History  of  the  Puritans,”  “  Don  Quixote,” 
Milton’s  “  Paradise  Lost,”  &c. 

On  attaining  his  fifteenth  year,  Joshua  left  West¬ 
bury  Leigh  for  the  great  Metropolis,  having  obtained 
a  situation  at  a  bookseller’s  in  Holborn.  After  a  three 
days’  journey  in  a  waggon  he  reached  London  ;  but 
his  employment  does  not  appear  to  have  answered  to 
his  expectations.  His  menial  duties  were  felt  to  be 
irksome  and  tedious.  The  following  touching 


REMOVAL  TO  SERAMPORE. 


6 1 


incident  will  be  read  with  interest.  On  one  occasion 
as  he  was  trudging  along  the  streets  with  a  parcel  of 
books  for  the  Duke  of  Grafton,  he  became  suddenly 
overwhelmed  with  a  feeling  of  sadness.  The  fit  of 
depression  seems  to  have  been  occasioned  by  the  sight 
of  Westminster  Hall.  Overcome  with  grief  at  the 
thought  that  perhaps  there  was  nothing  before  him 
but  a  life  of  drudgery,  he  put  his  parcel  upon  the 
ground  and  sat  down  and  sobbed  ;  but  gazing  around, 
the  memorials  he  saw  inspired  him  with  new  courage, 
and  mastering  his  grief,  with  a  braver  spirit  he  resumed 
his  load.  In  the  light  of  his  subsequent  history  such 
a  scene  is  surely  full  of  pathos. 

He  held  his  situation  at  the  Holborn  bookseller’s 
but  for  a  short  time,  and  then  for  some  years  appears 
to  have  assisted  his  father  as  a  weaver.  The  return 
to  the  religious  associations  in  which  he  had  been 
trained  helped  to  develop  his  Christian  character ; 
and  he  began  to  exercise  his  gifts  as  a  local  preacher 
in  the  surrounding  villages.  In  the  year  1791  he 
married  Hannah  Shepherd.  His  choice  was  a  most 
happy  one  ;  a  fact  which  the  missionaries  at  Serampore 
had  abundant  reason  in  the  future  to  acknowledge. 
Three  years  after  his  marriage  he  undertook  the 
management  of  a  school  in  connection  with  the 
Broadmead  Chapel  at  Bristol.  This  step  brought  him 
into  connection  with  Dr.  Ryland ;  and  his  schol¬ 
astic  duties  permitting,  he  was  enabled  to  attend  the 
classes  at  the  Academy.  His  progress  as  a  student 
was  most  satisfactory.  The  reading  of  the  “Periodical 
Accounts  of  the  Missionary  Society”  induced  him  to 
consider  whether  he  ought  not  himself  to  become 
a  missionary.  He  was  encouraged  by  Dr.  Ryland, 
and  was  eventually  accepted  by  the  Committee. 

Such  was  the  early  history  of  the  two  men,  William 


62 


WILLIAM  CAREY. 


Ward  and  Joshua  Marshman,  who  were  now  to 
become  so  closely  associated  with  Carey. 

It  may  be  added  that  Marshman  became  the 
father-in-law  of  General  Havelock,  who  has  been  often 
styled,  in  a  political  sense,  “the  Saviour  of  India.” 


CHAPTER  VI. 

TIIE  SEEAMPORE  MODE  OF  LIFE. 

IT  will  be  seen  from  the  foregoing  chapter,  that 
whilst  Carey’s  missionary  principles  remained 
unaltered,  circumstances  considerably  modified 
their  application.  Instead  of  making  their  abode 
in  a  compound  of  some  six  primitive  mat  huts,  the 
missionaries  found  a  home  in  a  “  large  house  in  the 
middle  of  the  town,”  purchased  from  a  nephew  of  the 
Danish  Governor.  But  though  such  a  locale  had 
never  entered  into  their  dreams,  and  was  contrary 
to  their  wishes,  and  though  future  events  abundantly 
justified  the  wisdom  of  their  action,  the  missionaries 
at  once  instituted  a  manner  of  living,  and  displayed 
a  devotion  of  spirit  which  were  in  perfect  accord  with 
the  simplicity  and  purity  of  their  original  ideal.  They 
constituted  themselves,  with  their  families,  a  Christian 
brotherhood.  “  They  were  of  one  heart,  and  of  one 
soul ;  neither  said  any  of  them  that  ought  of  the 
things  which  he  possessed  was  his  own  ;  but  they  had 
all  things  common.” 

They  were  no  doubt  encouraged  to  enter  into  this 

63 


64 


WILLIAM  CAREY. 


fellowship,  not  alone  because  of  the  New  Testament 
precedent,  but  from  what  they  knew  of  its  practical 
working  in  the  Moravian  settlements.  Most  delight¬ 
ful  were  the  disinterestedness,  the  humility,  the 
affectionate  esteem,  and  the  whole-hearted  consecra¬ 
tion,  which  characterised  the  Serampore  home. 

In  the  “  Periodical  Accounts  ”  we  meet  with  this  entry 
in  Ward’s  Journal:  “January  18th,  1800.  This  week 
we  have  adopted  a  set  of  rules  for  the  government  of 
the  family.  All  preach  and  pray  in  turn  ;  one  super¬ 
intends  the  affairs  of  the  family  for  a  month,  and  then 
another;  brother  Carey  is  treasurer,  and  has  the 
regulation  of  the  medicine  chest ;  brother  Fountain 
is  librarian.  Saturday  evening  is  devoted  to  adjusting 
differences,  and  pledging  ourselves  to  love  one  another. 
One  of  our  resolutions  is  that  no  one  of  us  do  engage 
in  private  trade  ;  but  that  all  be  done  for  the  benefit 
of  the  Mission.” 

How  pleasantly  these  rules  worked,  may  be  gathered 
from  a  further  entry,  after  some  seven  months’ 
experience  of  them :  “  About  six  o’clock  we  rise : 
brother  Carey  to  his  garden ;  brother  Marshman  to 
his  school  at  seven  ;  brother  Brunsden,  Felix,  and 
I  to  the  printing-office.  At  eight  the  bell  rings  for 
family  worship  ;  we  assemble  in  the  hall ;  sing,  read 
and  pray.  Breakfast.  Afterwards,  brother  Carey 
goes  to  the  translation,  or  reading  proofs ;  brother 
Marshman  to  school,  and  the  rest  to  the  printing- 
office.  Our  compositor  having  left  us,  we  do  without ; 
we  print  three  half-sheets  of  2000  each  in  a  week  ; 
have  five  press-men,  one  folder,  and  one  binder. 
At  twelve  o’clock  we  take  a  luncheon  ;  then  most  of 
us  shave  and  bathe,  read  and  sleep  before  dinner, 
which  we  have  at  three.  After  dinner  we  deliver 
our  thoughts  on  a  text  or  question  ;  this  we  find  to 


SERAMPORE  MODE  OF  LIFE. 


65 


be  very  profitable.  Brother  and  sister  Marshman 
keep  their  schools  till  after  two.  In  the  afternoon,  if 
business  be  done  in  the  office,  I  read  and  try  to  talk 
Bengalee  with  the  brahmin.  We  drink  tea  about 
seven,  and  have  little  or  no  supper.  We  have 
Bengalee  preaching  once  or  twice  in  the  week,  and 
on  Thursday  evening  we  have  an  experience  meeting. 
On  Saturday  evening  we  meet  to  compose  differences 
and  transact  business,  after  prayer,  which  is  always 
immediately  after  tea.  Felix  is  very  useful  in  the  office ; 
William  goes  to  school,  and  part  of  the  day  learns 
to  bind.  We  meet  two  hours  before  breakfast  on 
the  first  Monday  in  the  month,  and  each  one  prays 
for  the  salvation  of  the  Bengal  heathen.  At  night 
we  unite  our  prayers  for  the  universal  spread  of  the 
Gospel.” 

To  this  pleasing  record  we  may  add  the  opening 
sentence  of  a  letter  sent  about  this  date  to  the  Society 
at  home :  “  We  bless  God,  that  as  a  family  we  ex¬ 
perience  His  goodness  in  continuing,  and  we  hope 
increasing,  a  spirit  of  unanimity  and  brotherly  love 
amongst  us.  We  trust  we  can  say  we  are  of  one 
mind,  and  that  our  desire  is  to  strive  together  for 
the  furtherance  of  the  Gospel,  and  the  conversion 
of  the  heathen  around  us.” 

Five  years  later  the  original  rules  were  developed 
into  a  form  of  agreement,  which  it  was  resolved 
should  be  read  publicly  at  every  station  at  their 
three  annual  meetings,  viz. : — on  the  first  Lord’s 
Day  in  January,  May,  and  October.  We  question 
whether  any  document  was  ever  published  evincing 
a  finer  religious  sympathy,  a  loftier  spiritual  ideal, 
a  more  Christlike  compassion  and  devotedness,  or  a 
bolder  faith  in  God  than  this  agreement  of  the 
Serampore  fraternity.  It  is  far  too  copious  to  allow 

E 


66 


WILLIAM  CAREY. 


of  insertion  in  this  volume,  though  every  line  of  it 
deserves  thoughtful  perusal.  We  can  only  give  a 
few  sentences  to  indicate  its  character,  occurring 
under  one  or  other  of  the  eleven  points  to  which 
Carey  and  his  colleagues  pledged  their  adherence. 

“  He  who  is  too  proud  to  stoop  to  others,  in  order 
to  draw  them  to  him,  though  he  may  know  that  in 


Mrs.  Marshraan’s.  Mr.  Ward’s. 

Dr.  Marshman’s.  Dr.  Carey's. 

ANCIENT  CHAIRS  AT  SERAMPORE. 


many  respects  they  are  far  inferior  to  himself,  is 
ill-qualified  to  become  a  missionary.  .  .  . 

“  In  preaching  to  the  heathen,  we  must  keep  to  the 
example  of  Paul,  and  make  the  great  subject  of  our 
preaching  Christ,  the  Crucified.  It  would  be  very 
easy  for  a  missionary  to  preach  nothing  but  truths, 


SERAMPORE  MODE  OF  LIFE.  67 

and  that  for  many  years  together,  without  any  well- 
grounded  hope  of  becoming  useful  to  one  soul.  The 
doctrine  of  Christ’s  expiatory  death  and  all-sufficient 
merits  has  been,  and  must  ever  remain,  the  grand 
means  of  conversion.  This  doctrine  and  others 
immediately  connected  with  it  have  constantly 
nourished  and  sanctified  the  Church.  Oh,  that  these 


dr.  carey’s  pulpit,  serampore. 

glorious  truths  may  ever  be  the  joy  and  strength 
of  our  own  souls,  and  then  they  will  not  fail  to 
become  the  matter  of  our  conversation  to  others. 

(■  “  It  is  absolutely  necessary  that  the  natives  should 
have  an  entire  confidence  in  us,  and  feel  quite  at 
home  in  our  company.  To  gain  this  confidence  we 
must,  at  all  times,  be  willing  to  hear  their  complaints; 


68 


WILLIAM  CAREY. 


we  must  give  them  the  kindest  advice,  and  we  must 
decide  upon  everything  brought  before  us  in  the  most 
upright,  open,  and  impartial  manner.  *  We  ought  to 
be  easy  of  access,  to  condescend  to  them  as  much  as 
possible,  and  on  all  occasions  to  treat  them  as  our 
equals.  All  passionate  behaviour  will  sink  our  charac¬ 
ters  exceedingly  in  their  estimation.  All  force  and 
everything  haughty,  reserved,  and  forbidding,  it 
becomes  us  ever  to  shun  with  the  greatest  care.  We 
can  never  make  sacrifices  too  great,  when  the  eternal 
salvation  of  souls  is  the  object,  except,  indeed,  we 
sacrifice  the  commands  of  Christ.  .  .  . 

“  To  bear  the  faults  of  our  native  brethren,  so  as  to 
reprove  them  with  tenderness,  and  set  them  right  in 
the  necessity  of  a  holy  conversation,  is  a  very  necessary 
duty.  We  should  remember  the  gross  darkness  in 
which  they  were  so  lately  involved,  having  never  had 
any  just  and  adequate  ideas  of  the  evil  of  sin,  or  its 
consequences.  We  should  also  recollect  how  back¬ 
ward  human  nature  is  in  forming  spiritual  ideas,  and 
entering  upon  a  holy,  self-denying,  conversation.  .  .  . 

“Another  part  of  our  work  is  the  forming  our 
native  brethren  to  usefulness,  fostering  every  kind  of 
genius,  and  cherishing  every  gift  and  grace  in  them. 
In  this  respect  we  can  scarcely  be  too  lavish  of  our 
attention  to  their  improvement.  It  is  only  by  means 
of  native  preachers  that  we  can  hope  for  the  universal 
spread  of  the  Gospel  throughout  this  immense  con¬ 
tinent.  .  .  . 

“  It  becomes  us  also  to  labour  with  all  our  might  in 
forwarding  translations  of  the  sacred  Scriptures  in  the 
languages  of  Hindoostan.  The  help  which  God  has 
afforded  us  already  in  this  work,  is  a  loud  call  to  us 
to  ‘  go  forward.’  So  far,  therefore,  as  God  has 
qualified  us  to  learn  those  languages  which  are 


SERAMPORE  MODJ^  OF  LIFE.  69 

necessary,  we  consider  it  our  bounden  duty  to  apply 
with  unwearied  assiduity  in  acquiring  them.  .  .  . 

“  The  establishment  of  native  free  schools  is  also  an 
object  highly  important  to  the  future  conquests  of  the 
Gospel.  Of  this  very  pleasing  and  interesting  part  of 
our  missionary  labours,  we  should  endeavour  not  to 
be  unmindful.  .  .  . 

“  That  which,  as  a  means,  is  to  fit  us  for  the  dis¬ 
charge  of  these  laborious  and  unutterably  important 
labours,  is  the  being  instant  in  prayer,  and  the  cultiva¬ 
tion  of  personal  religion.  Let  us  ever  have  in  remem¬ 
brance  the  examples  of  those  who  have  been  most 
eminent  in  the  work  of  God.  Let  us  often  look  at 
Brainerd,  in  the  woods  of  America,  pouring  out  his 
very  soul  before  God  for  the  perishing  heathen,  with¬ 
out  whose  salvation  nothing  could  make  him  happy. 
Prayer,  secret,  fervent,  believing  prayer,  lies  at  the 
root  of  all  personal  godliness.  A  competent  know¬ 
ledge  of  the  languages  where  the  missionary  lives,  a 
mild  and  winning  temper,  and  a  heart  given  up  to 
God  in  closet  religion,  these  are  the  attainments, 
which  more  than  all  knowledge,  or  all  other  gifts,  will 
fit  us  to  become  the  instruments  of  God  in  the  great 
work  of  human  Redemption.  Let  us  then  ever  be 
united  in  prayer  at  stated  seasons,  whatever  distance 
may  separate  us,  and  let  each  one  of  us  lay  it  upon 
his  heart  that  we  will  seek  to  be  fervent  in  spirit 
wrestling  with  God,  till  He  banish  these  idols  and 
cause  the  heathen  to  experience  the  blessedness  that 
is  in  Christ.  .  .  . 

“  Finally.  Let  us  give  ourselves  up  unreservedly 
to  this  glorious  cause.  Let  us  never  think  that  our 
time,  our  gifts,  our  strength,  our  families,  or  even  the 
clothes  we  wear,  are  our  own.  Let  us  sanctify  them 
all  to  God  and  His  cause.  Oh,  that  He  may  sanctify 


70 


WILLIAM  CAREY. 


us  for  His  work !  Let  us  for  ever  shut  out  the  idea 
of  laying  up  a  cowry  for  ourselves  or  our  children. 
If  we  give  up  the  resolution  which  was  formed  on  the 
subject  of  private  trade,  when  we  first  united  at 
Serampore,  the  Mission  is  from  that  hour  a  lost  cause. 
A  worldly  spirit,  quarrels,  and  every  evil  work,  will 
succeed,  the  moment  it  is  admitted  that  each  brother 
may  do  something  on  his  own  account.  ...  If  we  are 
enabled  to  glorify  God  with  our  bodies  and  spirits 
which  are  His — our  wants  will  be  His  care.  No 
private  family  ever  enjoyed  a  greater  portion  of 
happiness,  even  in  the  most  prosperous  gale  of  worldly 
prosperity,  than  we  have  done  since  we  proposed  to 
have  all  things  common,  and  no  one  should  pursue 
business  for  his  own  exclusive  advantage.  If  we  are 
enabled  to  persevere  in  the  same  principles,  we  may 
hope  that  multitudes  of  converted  souls  will  have 
reason  to  bless  God  to  all  eternity  for  sending  His 
Gospel  into  this  country.” 


CHAPTER  VII. 

THREE  IMPORTANT  EVENTS. 

IN  this  chapter  reference  will  be  made  to  three 
events  which  occurred  during  the  early  residence 
at  Serampore :  the  baptism  of  the  first  convert  ; 
the  publication  of  the  first  Bengalee  New  Testa- 
’  ment ;  and  the  appointment  to  the  professorship  in 
the  College  at  Fort-William. 

The  name  of  the  first  Hindoo  convert  was  Krishnu 
Pal.  By  trade  he  was  a  carpenter.  An  accident, 
causing  the  dislocation  of  his  arm,  led  him  to  apply 
for  the  surgical  assistance  of  Mr.  Thomas.  On  arriv¬ 
ing,  the  missionary  doctor  tied  him  to  a  tree,  and, 
with  the  aid  of  Carey  and  Marshman,  the  dislocated 
limb  was  replaced.  It  was  discovered  that  Krishnu 
had  previously  heard  the  Gospel,  and  had  been  con¬ 
vinced  of  his  sinfulness.  He  complained  indeed  more 
of  himself  as  a  sinner,  than  he  did  of  his  pain.  With 
tears  he  cried  out :  “  I  am  a  great  sinner !  a  great 
sinner  am  I  !  save  me  Sahib !  save  me !  ”  Thomas, 
disowning  all  power  to  save,  pointed  him  to  Christ, 
dwelling  most  earnestly  upon  the  all-sufficiency  of  the 
Saviour’s  righteousness. 


71 


.72 


WILLIAM  CAREY. 


Krishnu  was  living  within  easy  reach  of  the 
missionaries,  and  so  was  invited  to  seek  regular 
instruction  from  them.  He  gladly  accepted  their 
invitation,  declaring  that  they  had  not  only  cured  his 
arm,  but  had  brought  him  the  news  of  salvation. 

Two  other  natives  had  also  been  awakened  to 
religious  concern  ;  Fakeer  and  Gokool.  The  former 
of  these  relapsed  into  heathenism  ;  but  the  latter 
persevered,  showing  his  zeal  and  sincerity  by  eating 
rice  with  Krishnu,  thus  losing  his  caste,  Krishnu  being 
of  different  caste  from  his  own.  Krishnu’s  wife  and 
family  became  very  deeply  impressed  in  favour  of 
Christianity ;  but  Gokool’s  wife  left  her  husband,  and 
went  to  her  relations. 

Two  entries  in  connection  with  these  circumstances 
in  the  missionaries’  journal,  by  Ward,  are  full  of 
interest : — 

“Dec.  6.  This  morning  brother  C.  and  I  went  to 
Krishnu’s  house.  Everything  was  made  very  clean. 
The  women  sat  within  the  house,  the  children  at  the 
door,  and  K.  and  Gokool  with  brother  C.  and  I  in  the 
court.  .  .  .  Brother  C.  talked  ;  and  the  women 
appeared  to  have  learned  more  of  the  Gospel  than  we 
expected.  They  declared  for  Christ  at  once.  This 
work  was  new,  even  to  brother  C.  A  whole  family 
desiring  to  hear  the  Gospel,  and  declaring  in  favour 
of  it !  K.’s  wife  said  she  had  received  great  joy 
from  it. 

“Lord's  Day,  Dec.  7.  This  morning  brother  C. 
went  to  K.’s  house,  and  spoke  to  a  yard-full  of  people, 
who  heard  with  great  attention,  though  trembling 
with  cold.  Brother  B.  is  very  poorly.  K.’s  wife  and 
her  sister  were  to  have  been  with  us  in  the  evening ; 
but  the  women  have  many  scruples  to  sitting  in  the 
company  of  Europeans.  Some  of  them  scarcely  ever 


HINDOO  CARPENTERS 


7  4 


WILLIAM  CAREY. 


go  out,  but  to  the  river ;  and  if  they  meet  a 
European,  run  away.  Sometimes  when  we  have 
begun  to  speak  in  a  street,  some  one  desires  us  to 
remove  to  a  little  distance ;  for  the  women  dare  not 
come  by  us  to  fill  their  jars  at  the  river.  We  always 
obey.” 

About  a  fortnight  after  these  occurrences  an 
incident  took  place,  which  in  its  influence  upon  the 
religious  future  of  India  cannot  be  over-estimated. 
Gokool  and  Krishnu  dared  to  partake  of  a  meal  with 
Europeans.  This  was  done  deliberately,  Carey  and 
Thomas  prefacing  the  significant  act  with  prayer. 
Thus  did  the  two  Hindoos  solemnly  renounce  their 
castes,  much  to  the  astonishment  of  the  native  servants 
who  were  in  attendance.  The  missionaries,  as  may  be 
readily  imagined,  were  greatly  moved  with  gratitude 
and  joy,  for  at  length,  after  long  years  of  trying  toil, 
Thomas  and  Carey  were  permitted  to  see  the  firstfruits 
of  their  labour.  “Brother  Carey,”  said  Ward,  “has 
waited  till  hope  of  his  own  success  has  almost 
expired.”  In  their  holy  excitement  they  confidently 
exclaimed,  “  The  door  of  faith  is  opened  to  the  Gentiles, 
who  shall  shut  it?  The  chain  of  caste  is  broken ,  who 
shall  mend  it  ?  ” 

At  a  later  meeting  the  same  day,  the  two  men,  with 
Rasoo,  Krishnu’s  wife  and  Joymooni,  his  wife’s  sister, 
recounted  their  experience  previous  to  baptism,  a 
never  to  be  forgotten  occasion.  The  meeting  closed 
with  singing  the  hymn  beginning :  “  Salvation,  oh,  the 
joyful  sound,”  and  a  prayer  by  Carey. 

As  soon  as  it  was  known  that  these  Hindoos  had 
broken  caste,  a  serious  disturbance  arose  amongst  the 
native  population.  Two  thousand  people  gathered  to¬ 
gether  and  cursed  the  converts,  who  were  dragged 
before  the  Danish  magistrate,  but  to  no  purpose,  as  that 


THREE  IMPORTANT  EVENTS. 


75 


official  not  only  dismissed  the  charge  brought  against 
them,  but  commended  them  for  the  step  they  had 
taken.  Krishnu  was  then  indicted  upon  a  charge  of 
refusing  to  keep  a  marriage  contract,  that  had  been 
made  between  his  daughter  and  a  man  to  whom  she 
had  been  betrothed  ;  but  again  the  accusation  failed, 
the  magistrate  declaring  that  the  consent  of  the  girl 
should  be  requisite  to  the  marriage. 

Fearing  lest  the  baptism  of  the  converts  would  be 
disturbed,  the  missionaries  sought  the  good  offices  of 
their  friend,  the  Governor  of  the  settlement,  who 
readily  assured  them  of  his  protection.  It  was 
arranged  for  the  baptism  to  take  place  on  Lord’s 
Day,  December  the  28th.  This  was  on  the  last 
Sabbath  in  the  year  1800.  But  on  the  previous  day 
a  great  disappointment  was  caused  by  Gokool  and 
the  women  expressing  a  wish  to  defer  their  baptism. 
Krishnu,  however,  was  constant,  and,  with  Felix, 
Carey’s  son,  presented  himself  for  the  observance  of  the 
Christian  ordinance.  A  number  of  Europeans,  Portu¬ 
guese,  Hindoos,  and  Mohammedans  were  present, 
as  was  also  the  Governor  of  the  settlement.  The 
service  began  by  singing,  in  the  Bengalee  language, 
the  baptismal  hymn  : — • 

“Jesus,  and  shall  it  ever  be 
A  mortal  man  ashamed  of  Thee  ? 

Ward  preached  on  the  subject  of  baptism.  But  let 
the  journal  further  describe  this  memorable  scene  : — 

“  Brother  Carey  then  spoke  for  a  short  time  in 
Bengalee ;  declaring  we  did  not  think  the  river  sacred 
— it  was  water  only,  and  the  person  about  to  be 
baptized  from  among  them,  by  this  act  professed  to 
put  off  all  the  debtahs  (demi-gods)  and  all  sins,  and  to 
put  on  Christ.  After  prayer,  he  (Carey)  went  down  into 


;6 


WILLIAM  CAREY. 


the  water,  taking  his  son  Felix  in  his  right  hand, 
and  baptized  him,  using  English  words.  After  this 
Krishnu  went  down  and  was  baptized  ;  the  words  in 
Bengalee.  All  was  silence  and  attention.  The 
Governor  could  not  restrain  his  tears ;  and  almost 
every  one  seemed  to  be  struck  with  the  solemnity  of 
this  (to  them)  new  and  sacred  ordinance.  I  never  saw, 
even  in  the  most  orderly  congregation  in  England, 
anything  more  decent  and  impressive.  Ye  gods  of 
stone  and  clay !  Did  ye  not  tremble,  when  in  the 
name  of  the  Father,  Son,  and  Holy  Spirit,  one  of  your 
votaries  shook  you  as  the  dust  from  his  feet  ?  When 
Iv.  came  from  dressing,  a  German  lady,  who  had  been 
witness  to  the  ceremony,  took  him  by  the  hand  and 
held  him  for  some  moments ;  and  though  unable  to 
make  him  understand  a  single  word,  I  could  see  that 
she  thanked  him  from  her  heart  for  renouncing  the 
worship  of  devils. 

“To  see  brother  C.  leading  down  into  the  water,  on 
the  same  day,  his  eldest  son,  a  missionary,  at  fifteen 
years  of  age,  and  the  first  converted  native  who  had 
fortitude  sufficient  to  renounce  his  caste,  was  indeed 
an  interesting  spectacle !  Brother  B.  (Brunsden)  lay 
in  the  palanquin  to  see  it.  In  the  afternoon  the 
Lord’s  Supper  was  celebrated  in  Bengalee  for  the 
first  time.  *  How  amiable  are  Thy  tabernacles,  O 
Lord  of  Hosts !  ’  Krishnu  at  the  close  said  he  was 
full  of  joy.  Felix  and  I  accompanied  him  to  his 
house.  We  scarcely  knew  whether  Gokool  and  the 
women  wished  to  hear  of  Christ.  I  talked  to  them 
with  unusual  feeling.  Felix  talked  also ;  and 
Krishnu  opened  his  heart,  and  the  proceedings  of  the 
day  to  them.  About  nine  o’clock,  he  came  to  our 
house  joyfully,  to  tell  us  that  Gokool  and  the  women 
were  brought  again  to  wish  for  baptism,  with  their 


THREE  IMPORTANT  EVENTS. 


77 


minds  towards  our  Saviour,  and  that  when  Mr. 
Fernandez  came  they  would  be  baptized.  Blessed 
day !  ” 

The  joy,  however,  of  this  eventful  day  was 
mingled  with  sadness  and  anxiety  on  account  of  the 
health  of  both  Mr.  Thomas  and  Mrs.  Carey.  The 
effect  of  the  recent  events  upon  Thomas  had  been 
greatly  to  excite  his  highly  wrought  temperament. 
The  delight  of  seeing  at  last,  after  fifteen  years’ 
labour,  an  actual  conversion  from  Hindooism,  com¬ 
pletely  overmastered  his  excitable  brain ;  and  so, 
whilst  Carey  was  administering  the  rite  of  baptism, 
he  was  obliged  to  be  put  under  restraint  in  the 
mission  house.  And  further,  Mrs.  Carey’s  mental 
malady  had  so  increased  that  at  the  same  time  she 
had  to  be  forcibly  confined  to  her  own  room. 

It  may  be  mentioned  here  that  Krishnu  is  the 
author  of  the  well  known  communion  hymn,  a  transla¬ 
tion  of  which  is  so  often  sung  in  our  English  services 
the  first  verse  of  which  reads  as  follows  : — - 

“  Oh,  thou,  my  soul,  forget  no  more 
The  Friend,  who  all  thy  misery  bore  : 

Let  every  idol  be  forgot, 

But,  oh,  my  soul,  forget  Him  not.” 

The  second  important  event ,  to  which  zve  refer  in  this 
chapter ,  is  the  publication  of  the  first  Bengalee  New 
Testament. 

In  December,  1796,  whilst  on  a  journey  from 
Mudnabatty  to  Calcutta,  Carey  wrote  to  his  sister 
declaring  his  belief  that  the  translation  of  the  Scrip¬ 
tures  was  one  of  the  greatest  desiderata  in  the 
world  ;  that  it  had  accordingly  occupied  a  consider¬ 
able  part  of  his  time  and  attention,  and  that,  through 
mercy,  the  New  Testament  was  so  near  completion 
that  he  hoped  to  have  the  translation  and  first 


78 


WILLIAM  CAREY. 


revision  of  it  finished  in  the  course  of  three  months. 
The  hope  was  realised,  though  it  was  felt  the  transla¬ 
tion  needed  to  be  considerably  revised.  Great  care 
and  assiduity  were  bestowed  upon  it,  Carey  going 
through  the  whole  with  his  pundit  in  “  as  exact  a 
manner  as  he  could,  the  pundit  judging  of  the  style  and 
syntax,  and  he  of  the  faithfulness  of  the  translation.” 

Carey  informed  the  Secretary,  Mr.  Fuller,  that  the 
New  Testament  would  make  six  hundred  pages  of 
letter-press  in  octavo,  which  the  printer  had  agreed  to 
print  at  about  one  and  two-pence  per  sheet,  cutting  a 
new  fount  of  type  for  the  purpose  ;  also  expressing  his 
opinion  that  the  offer  was  cheap,  and  stating  that 
the  whole  expense  of  printing  10,000  copies,  paper 
included,  would  be  near  ^3000  sterling ;  that  being 
about  six  shillings  per  copy.  This  was  in  March,  1797. 
It  was  not  until  nearly  four  years  had  passed  that 
the  New  Testament  appeared,  Carey  in  the  meantime 
working  upon  the  translation  of  the  Old  Testament 
Scriptures. 

The  memorable  day  was  the  7th  of  February,  1801. 
The  number  of  copies  to  be  issued  was  2000,  with  500 
additional  copies  of  Matthew’s  Gospel  for  immediate 
distribution.  A  subscription  list  had  been  previously 
opened  at  thirty-two  rupees  per  copy,  fifty  copies 
being  subscribed  for. 

On  the  completion  of  this  great  undertaking  a 
special  meeting  was  convened  for  the  purpose  of 
giving  thanks  unto  God.  The  missionaries  and  the 
Hindoo  brethren,  with  the  sisters,  were  present. 
Krishnu  offered  prayer ;  Carey  delivered  an  exhorta¬ 
tion  in  English  and  in  Bengalee  from  the  words : 
“  Let  the  Word  of  Christ  dwell  in  you  richly;”  and  the 
following  hymn,  which  Marshman  had  composed  for 
the  occasion,  was  sung  : — 


CAREY  AND  HIS  PUNDIT. 


8o 


WILLIAM  CAREY. 


“  Hail,  precious  book  divine  1 
Illumined  by  thy  rays, 

We  rise  from  death  and  sin, 

And  tune  a  Saviour’s  praise  : 

The  shades  of  error,  dark  as  night, 

Vanish  before  Thy  radiant  light. 

“  We  bless  the  God  of  grace, 

Who  hath  His  Word  revealed 
To  this  bewildered  race, 

So  long  in  darkness  held  : 

His  love  designs  ;  His  people  pray  ; 

His  providence  prepares  the  way. 

“  Now  shall  the  Hindoos  learn 
The  glories  of  our  King  ; 

Nor  to  blind  goroos  turn, 

Nor  idol  praises  sing; 

Diffusing  heavenly  light  around, 

This  book  their  Shasters  shall  confound. 

“  Deign,  gracious  Saviour,  deign, 

To  smile  upon  Thy  Word  ; 

Let  millions  now  obtain 
Salvation  from  the  Lord  ; 

Nor  let  its  growing  conquests  stay 
Till  earth  exult  to  own  its  sway.” 

The  establishment  of  the  press  at  Serampore 
attracted  the  attention  of  Lord  Wellesley,  the 
Governor- General.  His  apprehensions  were  excited, 
and  Government  interference  was  threatened.  But 
upon  the  assurances  of  the  Rev.  D.  Brown,  the 
chaplain,  of  the  pacific  and  loyal  character  of  the 
missionaries’  intentions,  the  Governor’s  apprehensions 
were  allayed,  and  without  interruption  the  work  was 
allowed  to  proceed.  We  shall  hereafter  have  occasion 
to  refer  to  Carey’s  laborious  and  invaluable  services 
as  a  translator. 

The  third  important  event  proposed  to  be  noticed  in 


THREE  IMPORTANT  EVENTS. 


8l 


this  chapter  is  tJie  appointment  of  Carey  to  a  Professor¬ 
ship  in  the  Government  College  at  Fort-  William. 

This  collegiate  institution  was  founded  by  Lord 
Wellesley.  It  had  appeared  to  the  Governor-General 
that  the  education  received  by  the  civilians  was 
seriously  inadequate ;  and  especially  did  he  feel  the 
necessity  of  their  acquaintance  with  the  vernaculars  ot 
the  people  to  whom  they  would  be  called  to  administer 
justice.  Hence  he  established  the  Fort-William 
College. 

The  publication  of  the  Bengalee  New  Testament 
naturally  directed  attention  to  Mr.  Carey.  The 
eminent  scholarship  it  disclosed  pointed  him  out  at 
once  as  the  teacher  who  might  fittingly  occupy  the 
Bengalee  chair  ;  and  he  was  communicated  with  upon 
the  matter.  In  Carey’s  own  words  we  can  best  see 
the  spirit  with  which  the  offer  of  this  important  and 
honourable  position  was  received  : — “  I  always  highly 
approved  of  the  institution,  but  never  entertained  a 
thought  that  I  should  be  called  to  fill  a  station  in  it. 
The  Rev.  D.  Brown  is  Provost,  and  the  Rev.  Claudius 
Buchanan  Vice-Provost ;  and  to  my  great  surprise 
I  was  asked  to  undertake  the  Bengalee  Professorship. 
One  morning  a  letter  from  Mr.  Brown  came,  inviting 
me  to  cross  the  water  to  have  some  conversation  with 
him  upon  this  subject.  I  had  but  just  time  to  call 
our  brethren  together,  who  were  of  opinion  that  for 
several  reasons  I  ought  to  accept  it,  provided  it  did 
not  interfere  with  the  work  of  the  Mission.  I  also 
knew  myself  to  be  incapable  of  filling  such  a  station 
with  reputation  and  propriety.  I,  however,  went  over, 
and  honestly  proposed  all  my  fears  and  objections. 
Both  Mr.  Brown  and  Mr.  Buchanan  were  of  opinion 
that  the  cause  of  the  Mission  would  be  furthered  by 
it ;  and  I  was  not  able  to  reply  to  their  arguments. 


82 


WILLIAM  CAREY. 


I  was  convinced  that  it  might  As  to  my  ability,  they 
could  not  satisfy  me ;  but  they  insisted  upon  it  that 
they  must  be  the  judges  of  that.  I  therefore  consented 
with  fear  and  trembling.  They  proposed  me  that 
day,  or  the  next,  to  the  Governor-General,  who  is 
patron  or  visitor  of  the  College.  They  told  him 
I  had  been  a  missionary  in  the  country  for  seven 
years  or  more ;  and  as  a  missionary  I  was  appointed 
to  the  office.  A  clause  h^d  been  inserted  in  the 
statutes  to  accommodate  those  who  are  not  of  the 
Church  of  England  (for  all  professors  are  to  take 
certain  oaths,  and  make  declarations) ;  but  for  the 
accommodation  of  such,  two  other  names  were  inserted 
— viz.,  lecturers  and  teachers,  who  are  not  included 
under  that  obligation.  When  I  was  proposed,  his 
Lordship  asked  if  I  was  well  affected  to  the  State,  and 
capable  of  fulfilling  the  duties  of  the  station ;  to 
which  Mr.  Brown  replied,  that  he  should  never  have 
proposed  me,  if  he  had  had  the  smallest  doubts  on 
those  heads.  I  wonder  how  people  can  have  such 
favourable  ideas  of  me.  I  certainly  am  not  disaffected 
to  the  State  ;  but  the  other  is  not  clear  to  me.” 

His  first  position  was  that  of  teacher  of  Bengalee, 
afterwards  of  Sanscrit  and  of  Mahratta,  with  a  salary 
of  £600  per  annum.  From  teacher  he  became 
professor ;  and  as  professor  of  the  three  Oriental 
languages  his  emoluments  rose  to  ^1500.  But  with 
a  disinterestedness  which  is  beyond  all  praise,  the 
whole  of  this  income,  with  the  exception  of  some  ^40 
needed  for  his  support  and  that  of  his  family,  and  a 
small  sum  besides  to  furnish  him  with  decent  clothing 
for  his  duties  at  the  college,  was  devoted  to  the 
purposes  of  the  Mission.  Let  it  also  be  stated  that 
the  like  spirit  of  noble  generosity  distinguished  his 
colleague,  Mr.  Marshman  ;  the  boarding-school  which 


GOVERNMENT  HOUSE,  CALCUTTA,  AND  VICINITY. 


84 


WILLIAM  CAREY. 


had  been  placed  under  his  care  having  prospered 
beyond  all  expectation,  so  much  so,  that  its  profits 
amounted  to  about  ^iooo  a-year ;  Mr.  Marshman 
taking  only  some  £34  for  personal  requirements. 

Thus  faithfully  was  the  plan  strictly  observed,  upon 
which  the  Serampore  brotherhood  had  been  founded  ; 
none  of  the  brethren  engaging  in  private  trade,  but  all 
being  done  for  the  benefit  of  the  Mission. 

To  say  that  Carey  filled  his  high  professorial 
position  with  credit  were  only  to  record  a  fact  which 
was  confidently  anticipated  from  his  well  known 
linguistic  abilities.  He  did  more  than  prove  himself 
equal  to  his  office ;  he  won  the  esteem  and  affection 
of  students  and  colleagues  alike.  How  greatly  he 
was  respected  may  be  gathered  from  a  remarkable 
incident  which  occurred  some  four  years  after  his 
appointment.  The  scene  of  the  incident  was  the 
official  residence  of  the  Viceroy,  an  imposing  building 
which  had  been  erected  the  previous  year  at  no  less  a 
cost  than  ;£  140,000.  The  occasion  was  the  annual 
disputation,  when  three  of  the  most  successful 
students  appeared  as  disputants,  their  professor 
acting  as  moderator.  No  effort  and  no  expense 
were  spared  to  make  this  annual  demonstration  a 
magnificent  success.  The  Viceroy,  seated  upon  his 
throne,  was  attended  by  the  most  distinguished  in 
state  and  society  and  learning.  The  august  and 
wealthy,  both  European  and  Native,  gathered  from 
all  parts  of  the  Empire. 

In  the  year  1804  Carey  was  the  moderator.  One 
of  Carey’s  students  who  had  gained  marked  distinction 
in  the  study  of  Sanscrit  was  required  to  give  a 
declamation  in  that  language,  whilst  Carey  himself 
was  appointed  to  deliver  the  address  to  the  Viceroy. 
After  this  address  had  been  prepared,  it  was  submitted 


THREE  IMPORTANT  EVENTS. 


35 

to  Mr.  Buchanan,  the  Vice- Provost,  who,  as  Carey 
has  said,  considerably  enlarged  it  and  inserted  some 
sentences  of  flattery.  A  draft  of  it,  without  Carey 
having  seen  it  in  its  amended  form,  was  sent  to  the 
Viceroy  for  his  approval  before  its  public  presentation. 
Carey  did  not  think  it  improper  that  reference  should 
be  made  to  his  vocation  as  a  missionary,  and  to  his 
sympathy  with  the  evangelisation  of  the  natives. 
Buchanan  and  Brown,  though  approving  of  the  refer¬ 
ence,  feared  that  the  address  might  consequently  be 
rejected.  Instead,  however  of  this  being  the  case, 
Lord  Wellesley  replied  as  follows : — “  I  am  much 
pleased  with  Mr.  Carey’s  truly  original  and  excellent 
speech.  I  would  not  wish  to  have  a  word  altered. 
I  esteem  such  a  testimony  from  such  a  man  a  greater 
honour  than  the  applause  of  Courts  and  Parliaments.” 
Such  was  the  distinguished  Viceroy’s  opinion  of  the 
man  who  some  twelve  years  previously  had  been  a 
humble  Baptist  minister  trying  to  add  to  his  meagre 
salary,  insufficient  for  a  livelihood,  by  school  teaching 
and  boot  and  shoe  mending. 

Carey  held  his  position  of  Professor  until  1830, 
within  four  years  of  his  death. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

VARIOUS  CIRCUMSTANCES. 

IT  was  not  to  be  expected  that  the  Serampore 
labours  would  be  allowed  to  proceed  without 
political  interference.  Though  individuals  of 
position  and  influence  had  befriended  the  mission¬ 
aries,  public  sentiment  both  at  home  and  abroad  was 
prejudiced  against  their  enterprise.  Carey  and  his 
colleagues,  therefore,  felt  it  necessary  to  exercise  the 
greatest  prudence  ;  but  with  all  their  careful  endeavour 
not  to  give  offence,  serious  difficulties  arose,  threaten¬ 
ing  not  only  the  existence  of  the  press,  but  of  the 
Mission  itself. 

In  the  year  1806  two  native  regiments  mutinied 
who  were  stationed  with  European  soldiery  at  the 
fortress  of  Vellore  in  the  Madras  Presidency.  The 
Sepoys  massacred  several  officers  and  a  number  of 
men.  Various  causes  were  assigned  for  this  outbreak 
— ultimately,  one  purely  military  was  accepted  as  the 
true  cause ;  but  for  some  time  the  incident  was 
utilised  for  party  purposes,  and  opponents  of  the 
missionary  enterprise  were  not  slow  to  discover  a 
86 


VARIOUS  CIRCUMSTANCES.  87 

connection  between  the  mutiny  and  the  presence  of 
missionaries  in  the  country.  Representations  were 
accordingly  made  to  the  authorities  that  for  the  sake 
of  keeping  the  peace,  and  even  preserving  the  British 
possessions,  it  was  imperative  to  keep  a  close  watch 
upon  the  men  at  Serampore,  to  restrict  their  operations, 
and  should  it  be  desirable,  to  command  their  absolute 
deportation. 

This  anti-missionary  spirit  so  far  prevailed  that 
when  two  additional  brethren,  Messrs.  Chater  and 
Robinson,  arrived  in  Calcutta,  they  were  not  permitted 
to  proceed  to  Serampore.  Carey,  hearing  of  the 
detention,  applied  at  once  to  the  Justices  of  the  Peace 
for  an  explanation  ;  and  was  informed  that  the 
Governor-General,  Sir  George  Barlow,  had  expressed 
a  wish  that  he  (Carey)  should  not  interfere  with  the 
prejudices  of  the  natives  by  preaching  to  them  or 
distributing  books  or  pamphlets  amongst  them  ;  that 
his  colleagues  were  to  observe  the  same  line  of 
conduct ;  and  further,  that  the  converted  natives  were 
not  to  go  into  the  country  to  spread  Christianity 
amongst  the  people.  Carey,  hearing  this,  inquired 
if  the  communication  had  been  made  in  writing,  but 
the  Justices  of  the  Peace  could  not  reply  in  the 
affirmative.  It  was  evident,  however,  there  was  grave 
need  for  the  wisest  caution.  That  Carey  felt  a  crisis 
had  arisen  is  seen  by  the  manner  in  which  he  described 
the  difficulty  of  the  position  :  “  We  are  much  in  the 
situation,”  he  wrote  to  the  Committee  of  the  Society, 
“  in  which  the  apostles  were  when  commanded  not  to 
teach  nor  preach  any  more  in  this  name !  They,  it  is 
true,  replied,  ‘  Whether  it  be  right  in  the  sight  of  God 
to  obey  you  rather  than  God,  judge  ye.’  Would  it 
be  right  or  not  for  us  to  make  the  same  reply  in  the 
first  instance?  On  the  one  hand  our  prospects  of 


88 


WILLIAM  CAREY. 


success  are  obscured,  and  those  opening  doors  for 
usefulness,  which  a  few  days  ago  engaged  our  attention 
and  animated  our  exertions,  are  shut  by  this  cruel 
message ;  the  consequence  is  that  souls  are  perishing 
on  every  side,  and  we  are  forbidden  to  administer  the 
remedy  which  God  has  put  into  our  hands.  To  act 
in  open  defiance  of  the  wish  of  the  Governor-General 
might  occasion  a  positive  law  against  evangelising 
the  heathen,  and  at  once  break  up  the  Mission,  which 
has  been  settled  at  so  great  an  expense.  On  the 
other  hand,  it  is  probable  that  even  if  we  yield  a  little 
to  the  present  storm  it  may  soon  blow  over,  and  we 
may  not  only  enjoy  our  present  privileges,  but  obtain 
the  liberty  which  we  have  so  long  wished  for.  We, 
with  the  advice  of  our  best  friends,  have  for  the 
present  chosen  the  latter  line  of  conduct.” 

But  these  adverse  circumstances  had  no  power  to 
daunt  their  courage  or  shake  their  faith,  for  Carey 
continued:  “We  are  not  doubtful  respecting  the 
final  success  of  the  Gospel  in  these  countries,  though 
greatly  distressed  at  the  present  occurrence.  Our 
hope  is  in  God.  We  trust  that  this  will  be  a  peculiar 
subject  of  prayer  with  us,  and  we  shall  endeavour  to 
improve  the  privileges  yet  remaining.  The  cause  is 
God’s,  and  will  never  be  deserted  by  Him  ;  though 
He  may  permit  temporary  obstructions  to  arise.” 

But  through  representations  which  were  made  to 
the  magistrates,  especially  by  Mr.  Brown,  the  chap¬ 
lain,  the  work  at  Serampore,  with  certain  restrictions, 
was  allowed  for  a  time  to  continue  as  usual.  The 
anti -missionary  party  were  not,  however,  disposed 
to  let  their  opposition  cease.  Eagerly  watching 
for  any  pretext  that  might  arise,  they  were  not 
tardy  in  bringing  before  the  notice  of  the  Governor- 
General,  Lord  Minto,  who  had  succeeded  Sir  George 


VARIOUS  CIRCUMSTANCES. 


89 


Barlow,  a  certain  publication  in  the  shape  of  a  Persian 
tract  which  had  inadvertently  issued  from  the  Seram- 
pore  press.  Carey  was  peremptorily  summoned 
before  the  Chief  Secretary  to  the  Government,  and 
the  Secretary  in  the  Secret  and  Political  Department. 
The  tract  in  question  reflected  violently  upon  the 
religion  of  Mohammed.  Upon  being  interrogated, 
Carey  replied  that  he  was  not  aware  of  the  publica¬ 
tion  of  the  sentiments  to  which  objection  was  taken  ; 
that  abuse  was  not  a  weapon  of  which  he  approved  ; 
that  he  would  undertake  to  suppress  the  obnoxious 
pamphlet ;  and  further,  that  he  was  quite  willing 
to  submit  all  the  Serampore  publications  for  the 
inspection  of  the  Government. 

When  Carey  returned  to  Serampore,  he  found  upon 
inquiry  that  the  objectionable  strictures  had  been 
furtively  inserted  by  a  Mohammedan  moonshee 
who  had  been  employed  as  a  Persian  translator, 
and  who,  it  was  thought,  could  have  been  safely 
trusted. 

On  behalf  of  the  missionaries,  the  Danish  Governor 
forwarded  an  explanation  to  the  authorities  with 
expressions  of  regret  for  the  inadvertence.  But  the 
members  of  the  Government,  who  were  hostile  to 
the  Mission,  did  not  intend  to  let  the  matter  come 
thus  easily  to  an  amicable  end.  They  employed 
spies  to  attend  the  meetings  of  the  missionaries, 
and  to  secure  copies  of  the  pamphlets  distributed 
amongst  the  people.  Upon  information  thus  obtained 
and  laid  before  the  Supreme  Council,  an  official 
communication  was  despatched  to  Carey,  which  went 
as  far  as  to  prohibit  the  services  held  in  Calcutta, 
and  requiring  the  removal  of  the  press  to  that  city. 
Carey  on  receiving  it  was  righteously  indignant.  The 
Governor  of  Serampore,  under  whose  protection  the 


90 


WILLIAM  CAREY. 


missionaries  were  living,  felt  himself  insulted,  and 
assured  them  of  his  continued  friendship. 

After  much  consultation  and  prayer  it  was  thought 
best  to  pursue  a  conciliatory  line  of  action  ;  and 
it  was  therefore  resolved  to  draw  up  a  memorial  for 
presentation  to  the  Governor-General,  and  previously 
to  seek  an  interview  with  his  Lordship.  The  result 
justified  the  manner  of  procedure,  for  the  order 
requiring  the  removal  of  the  Press  was  revoked  ;  the 
Government  simply  accepting  Carey’s  condition  that 
all  publications  should  be  submitted  for  approval. 
“  Blessed  be  God,”  wrote  Carey  to  Fuller,  “  all  things 
now  continue  to  be  quiet  with  us !  Our  deliverance 
has  been  great ;  and  it  may  be  said  with  propriety, 
that  God  ‘has  stretched' forth  His  hand  against  the 
wrath  of  His  enemies,  and  that  His  right  hand  has 
saved  us.’  ”  “  Seldom,”  he  further  wrote  to  Sutcliff, 

“has  a  more  remarkable  interposition  been  known, 
and  seldom  has  a  deliverance  been  more  evidently  an 
answer  to  prayer.  We  were  all  overwhelmed  with  dis¬ 
tress  ;  but  I  am  persuaded  that  we  all  felt  a  reliance 
upon  God  such  as  we  have  scarcely  witnessed  before.” 

But  though  the  missionaries  thus  rejoiced  in  what 
they  felt  to  be  a  signal  interposition  on  the  part  of 
God,  the  hostility  was  not  silenced.  Hostile  Anglo- 
Indians  not  only  did  their  utmost  to  keep  alive  the 
opposition  in  India,  but  to  increase  prejudice  in 
England.  Pamphlets  were  circulated  in  this  country, 
especially  those  which  were  written  by  a  Mr.  Twining, 
Major  Scott  Wearing,  and  Col.  Stewart.  To  these 
pamphlets,  full  of  misrepresentation,  calumnies,  and 
appeals  to  base  and  unfounded  fears,  Mr.  Fuller 
replied  in  his  own  trenchant  style.  Whilst  these 
controversies  were  being  waged  it  became  increasingly 
evident  that  as  the  time  drew  near  (1813)  for  the 


VARIOUS  CIRCUMSTANCES. 


91 


renewal  of  the  East  India  Company’s  charter,  the 
friends  of  missions  should  direct  their  efforts  towards 
securing  the  introduction  of  clauses  permitting  the 
free  entrance  of  missionaries  into  India,  and  liberty 
to  propagate  the  Christian  religion.  With  Mr.  Fuller 
as  their  leader,  they  were  most  unremitting  in  supply¬ 
ing  their  representatives  in  Parliament  with  all 
necessary  information.  The  debates  upon  the  renewal 
of  the  charter  extended  over  several  weeks.  Amongst 
those  who  rendered  the  mission  cause  the  most 
effective  help  were  William  Wilberforce  in  the 
Commons  and  Marquis  Wellesley  in  the  Lords. 

To  convey  to  our  readers  some  idea  of  the  character 
of  the  debate  we  shall  quote  one  or  two  passages 
from  two  speeches  ;  one  delivered  by  an  opponent, 
and  the  other  by  Mr.  Wilberforce : — 

“Your  struggles,”  declaimed  Mr.  Marsh,  “are  only 
begun  when  you  have  converted  one  caste ;  never 
will  the  scheme  of  Hindoo  conversion  be  realised 
till  you  persuade  an  immense  population  to  suffer 
by  whole  tribes  the  severest  martyrdom — and  are 
the  missionaries  whom  this  Bill  will  let  loose  on  India 
fit  engines  for  the  accomplishment  of  this  great 
revolution  ?  Will  these  people,  crawling  from  the 
holes  and  caverns  of  their  original  destinations, 
apostates  from  the  loom  and  the  anvil  (he  should 
not  have  said  the  anvil  but  the  awl,  for  Carey  was 
originally  a  shoemaker)  and  renegades  from  the  lowest 
handicraft  employments,  be  a  match  for  the  cool 
and  sedate  controversies  they  will  have  to  encounter 
should  the  brahmins  condescend  to  enter  into  the 
arena  against  the  maimed  and  crippled  gladiators 
that  presume  to  grapple  with  their  faith  ?  What  can 
be  apprehended  but  the  disgrace  and  discomfiture  of 
whole  hosts  of  tub  preachers  in  the  conflict  ?  ” 


92 


WILLIAM  CAREY. 


In  the  course  of  the  debate  Mr.  Wilberforce 
delivered  several  speeches,  one  of  which  he  thus  con¬ 
cluded  : — “  In  truth,  sir,  these  Anabaptist  missionaries, 
as,  among  other  low  epithets  bestowed  on  them,  they 
have  been  contemptuously  termed,  are  entitled  to  our 
highest  respect  and  admiration.  One  of  them,  Dr. 
Carey,  was  originally  in  one  of  the  lowest  stations  of 
society,  but  under  all  the  disadvantages  of  such  a 
situation,  he  had  the  genius  as  well  as  the  benevolence 
to  devise  the  plan,  which  has  since  been  pursued,  of 
forming  a  society  for  communicating  the  blessings  of 
Christian  light  to  the  natives  of  India,  and  his  first 
care  was  to  qualify  himself  to  act  a  distinguished  part 
in  that  truly  noble  enterprise.  He  resolutely  applied 
himself  to  the  diligent  study  of  the  learned  languages, 
and,  after  making  a  considerable  proficiency  in  them, 
he  applied  himself  to  several  of  the  Oriental  tongues, 
more  especially  to  that  which  I  understand  is  regarded 
as  the  parent  of  them  all,  the  Sanscrit,  in  which  last 
his  proficiency  is  acknowledged  to  be  greater  than 
that  of  Sir  W.  Jones  himself,  or  any  other  European. 
Of  several  of  these  languages  he  has  already  published 
grammars  ;  of  one  or  two  of  them  a  dictionary,  and 
he  has  in  contemplation  still  greater  enterprises.  All 
this  time,  sir,  he  is  labouring  indefatigably  as  a 
missionary,  with  a  warmth  of  zeal  only  equalled  by  that 
with  which  he  prosecutes  his  literary  labours.  Another 
of  these  Anabaptist  missionaries,  Mr.  Marshman,  has 
established  a  seminary  for  the  cultivation  of  the 
Chinese  language,  which  he  has  studied  with  a  success 
scarcely  inferior  to  that  of  Dr.  Carey  in  the  Sanscrit. 
It  is  a  merit  of  a  more  vulgar  sort,  but  to  those  who 
are  blind  to  their  moral  and  even  their  literary 
excellences,  it  may  perhaps  afford  an  estimate  of 
value  better  suited  to  their  principles  and  habits  of 


VARIOUS  CIRCUMSTANCES. 


93 


calculation,  that  these  men,  and  Mr.  Ward  also, 
another  of  the  missionaries,  acquiring  from  ^iooo  to 
£1500  per  annum  each  by  the  various  exercise  of 
their  talents,  throw  the  whole  into  the  common  stock 
of  the  Mission,  which  they  thus  support  by  their  con¬ 
tributions  only  less  effectually  than  by  their  researches 
and  labours  of  a  higher  order.  Such,  sir,  are  the 
exertions,  such  the  merits,  such  the  success  of  those 
great  and  good  men,  for  so  I  shall  not  hesitate  to 
term  them.” 

On  the  13th  of  July  the  bill  passed  the  Commons 
and  was  accepted  by  the  Lords,  the  clauses  relating 
to  the  missionaries,  which  permitted  their  free  entrance 
into  India,  having  been  previously  inserted  by  a  large 
majority  of  votes. 

Before  leaving  the  record  of  these  events,  we  would 
not  omit  a  reference  to  the  effective  service  in  securing 
this  triumph  of  religious  liberty  rendered  by  the 
Quarterly  Review ,  which  periodical  most  drastically 
and  successfully  combated  the  scurrilous  attacks 
of  the  Rev.  Sydney  Smith  in  The  Edinburgh , 
and  which,  as  recently  as  last  year,  contained  in  its 
July  issue  a  most  admirable  article  on  Christian 
Missions. 

Soon  after  the  settlement  at  Serampore,  the 
missionaries  felt  the  importance  of  providing  a  place 
for  worship  and  religious  instruction  in  Calcutta. 
Plans  were  consequently  drawn  out,  subscriptions 
were  solicited,  and  a  site  procured  in  Lai  Bazaar. 
A  temporary  building  was  first  erected,  and  in  1807 
Carey  informed  Sutcliff  that  a  petition  had  been 
presented  to  Government  for  permission  to  build  a  new 
chapel,  the  petition  being  signed  by  1 1 5  of  the 
inhabitants,  many  of  whom  were  merchants  of  the 
first  respectability,  and  that  it  had  met  with  a  favour- 


94 


WILLIAM  CAREY. 


able  response.  On  New  Year’s  day,  1809,  the  chapel 
was  duly  opened. 

As  Carey’s  duties  at  the  Fort-William  College  took 
him  regularly  to  Calcutta,  he  agreed  to  conduct 
the  week-day  services  and  to  preach  in  turn  with  his 
brethren  on  the  Sunday — an  evidence  of  his  extra¬ 
ordinary  power  for  work.  Every  hour  of  every  day 
of  the  week  seems  to  have  been  occupied  either 


with  translating  or  proof-reading,  compilation  of  gram¬ 
mars  or  dictionaries,  lecturing  or  preaching.  He 
was  almost  ubiquitous  as  far  as  engagements  in 
Serampore  and  Calcutta  were  concerned.  Turning 
over  the  leaves  of  the  “  Periodical  Accounts,”  we  meet 
with  numerous  passages  indicating  his  marvellously 
abundant  labours,  such  as  the  following :  “  Brother 
Carey,  in  a  conversation  of  nearly  two  hours,  laid 
before  the  Mussulmans,  who  had  come  to  our  house, 


I.AL  BAZAAR  CHAPEL,  CALCUTTA 


9  6 


WILLIAM  CAREY. 


the  way  of  salvation.”  “  This  morning  brother  Carey 
went  into  that  part  of  the  town  where  the  washermen 
live.  They  were  tolerably  attentive.”  “  Brother 
Carey  went  again  this  morning  among  the  washer¬ 
men.”  “To-day,  brother  Carey  and  I  went  to  Chin- 
surah,  and  talked  to  them  sometime  about  the  way  of 
life.”  “  Lord’s  Day, — Brother  Carey  preached  in 
English  and  Bengalee.”  “  Being  in  Calcutta  from 
Monday  evening  till  Friday  evening,  I  constantly 
preached  on  Wednesday  and  Thursday  evenings.” 
“  My  time  is  so  much  occupied  with  the  second 
edition  of  the  New  Testament  and  the  remaining  part 
of  the  Old,  that,  together  with  my  other  necessary 
avocations,  the  whole  is  completely  engrossed.”  “  The 
number  of  those  who  are  seeking  salvation  continues 
to  increase.  Mr.  Carey’s  room  was  filled  with 
inquirers  yesterday.”  “  Brother  Carey  always  delivers 
a  lecture  every  Monday  afternoon  on  astronomy, 
geography,  &c.,  &c.” 

These  are  but  a  sample  of  the  entries  continually 
occurring,  testifying  to  his  almost  superhuman 
endeavours. 

And  whilst  his  professional  engagements  and  his 
literary  pursuits  detained  him  so  fully  in  Serampore 
and  Calcutta,  yet  he  eagerly  seized  any  opportunity 
that  arose  for  itinerating  with  a  view  to  extending 
the  knowledge  of  the  Saviour.  “  I  went  a  journey  in 
July  last,”  he  wrote  to  Mr.  Morris  in  1803,  “for 
about  twelve  days,  preaching  in  many  villages,  and 
giving  away  tracts.  Krishnu  accompanied  me 
and  rejoiced  my  heart.”  On  other  occasions,  when¬ 
ever  there  was  the  possibility  of  release  from  other 
duties,  he  readily  went  forth  on  evangelistic  tours 
proclaiming  the  glad  news  of  redeeming  mercy. 

Towards  the  close  of  the  year  1807,  Mrs.  Carey 


husband  may  have  been  in  some  measure  due  to  this 
affliction.  Apart,  however,  from  her  mental  condition, 
she  does  not  seem  to  have  possessed  those  endowments 
and  qualities  which  would  have  fitted  her  to  be  the 
companion  of  one  so  eminently  gifted  as  was  Carey 
But  with  a  tenderness  and  forbearance  which  give  a 
fine  nobleness  to  his  character  he  bore  the  affliction 

G 


VARIOUS  CIRCUMSTANCES.  9/ 

was  removed  by  death.  For  many  years  she  had  been 
a  great  sufferer ;  previous  to  her  residence  in  India 
symptoms  of  the  mental  malady  which  so  seriously 
developed  in  her  later  life  had  not  been  wanting. 
Her  reluctance,  in  the  first  instance,  to  accompany  her 


INDIAN  WASHERMEN. 


98 


WILLIAM  CAREY. 


without  repining,  and  tried  to  sustain  the  sufferer 
with  his  never-failing  sympathy.  His  prodigious 
labours  appear  all  the  more  remarkable  when  we 
remember  how  depressing  must  have  been  this 
domestic  trial.  “  It  will  serve,”  says  J.  C.  Marshman, 
“to  give  some  idea  of  the  strength  and  energy  of 
Dr.  Carey’s  character,  that  the  arduous  Biblical  and 
literary  labours  in  which  he  had  been  engaged  since 
his  arrival  at  Serampore,  were  prosecuted  while  an 
insane  wife,  frequently  wrought  up  to  a  state  of  the 
most  distressing  excitement,  was  in  the  next  room 
but  one  to  his  study.”  In  communicating  the 
intelligence  of  her  death  to  Mr.  Fuller,  Carey  wrote, 
“  On  the  eighth  of  December  last  it  pleased  God  to 
remove  my  wife  by  death.  She  had  been  in  a  state 
the  most  distressing,  for  these  last  twelve  years. 
Indeed,  the  turn  of  her  mind  was  such  as  prevented 
her  from  feeling  even  those  ideal  pleasures  which  some¬ 
times  attend  maniacal  persons.  She  was  attacked 
with  a  fever  which  terminated  in  about  a  fortnight.” 

In  the  following  year  Carey  married  Miss  Charlotte 
Emelia  Rumohr,  who  was  of  a  noble  family  in  the 
Duchy  of  Sleswick,  her  mother  being  the  Countess  of 
Alfeldt,  and  one  of  her  sisters  being  the  wife  of  the 
Graff  Warnstedt,  chamberlain  to  the  King  of  Den¬ 
mark  and  ranger  of  the  royal  forests.  Being  a  lady 
of  delicate  constitution,  she  had  resided  in  the  south 
of  Europe,  but  had  been  recommended  to  try  the 
climate  of  India.  She  accordingly  determined  to 
visit  the  Danish  settlement  at  Tranquebar.  Whilst 
there,  the  Governor  placed  in  her  hands  Pascal’s 
“  Thoughts,”  and  as  the  result  of  reading  that  volume, 
she  became  seriously  concerned  upon  the  subject  of 
religion.  From  Tranquebar  she  visited  Serampore 
and  was,  of  course,  received  with  every  expression  of 


VARIOUS  CIRCUMSTANCES. 


99 


respect  and  cordiality  by  the  Governor,  Colonel  Bie. 
Three  months  previous  to  her  arrival  the  missionaries 
had  accepted  the  protection  of  this  same  good  man. 
Miss  Rumohr  was  introduced  to  the  missionaries  and 
their  families,  and  became  not  only  greatly  interested 
in  them  but  was  strongly  attracted  to  them  by 
sympathy  with  their  character  and  labours.  Her 
fellowship  with  them  led  to  a  careful  examination  of 
the  Scriptures  and  a  most  thorough  consecration  of 
heart  and  life  to  the  Saviour. 

On  her  marriage  with  Dr.  Carey,  she  evinced  those 
Christian  dispositions  which  made  her  accession  to  the 
Serampore  mission-house  most  welcome  to  all  its 
members.  As  far  as  her  strength  would  allow  she 
entered  most  warmly  into  all  her  husband’s  pursuits. 
It  may  be  mentioned  that  the  house  she  had  built 
previous  to  her  marriage,  and  in  which  she  had 
intended  to  reside,  was  given  to  the  Mission,  its  rent 
being  applied  to  the  support  of  native  preachers. 

The  letter  which  Carey  sent  to  Dr.  Ryland  on  the 
occasion  of  her  death  will  show  how  eminent  was  her 
piety,  and  how  great  the  loss  he  sustained  :  “  I  am 
now  called  in  Divine  Providence  to  be  a  mourner 
again,  having  lately  experienced  the  greatest  domestic 
loss  that  a  man  can  sustain.  My  dear  wife  was 
removed  from  me  by  death  on  Wednesday  morning, 
May  30th,  about  twenty  minutes  after  midnight. 
She  was  about  two  months  above  sixty  years  old. 
We  had  been  married  thirteen  years  and  three  weeks, 
during  all  which  season,  I  believe,  we  had  as  great  a 
share  of  conjugal  happiness  as  ever  was  enjoyed  by 
mortals.  She  was  eminently  pious,  and  lived  very 
near  to  God.  The  Bible  was  her  daily  delight,  and 
next  to  God  she  lived  only  for  me.  Her  solicitude 
for  my  happiness  was  incessant,  and  so  certainly 


100 


WILLIAM  CAREY. 


could  she  at  all  times  interpret  my  looks,  that  any 
attempt  to  conceal  anxiety  or  distress  of  mind  would 
have  been  in  vain.  Nothing,  however,  but  tenderness 
for  each  other’s  feelings  could  induce  either  of  us  for 
a  minute  to  attempt  a  concealment  of  anything.  It 
was  her  constant  habit  to  compare  every  verse  she 
read  in  the  various  German,  French,  Italian,  and 
English  versions,  and  never  to  pass  by  a  difficulty 
till  it  was  cleared  up.  In  this  respect  she  was  of 
eminent  use  to  me  in  the  translation  of  the  Word  of 
God.  She  was  full  of  compassion  for  the  poor  and 
needy,  and  till  her  death  supported  several  blind  and 
lame  persons  by  a  monthly  allowance.  I  consider 
them  as  a  precious  legacy  bequeathed  to  me.  She 
entered  most  heartily  into  all  the  concerns  of  the 
Mission,  and  into  the  support  of  schools,  particularly 
those  for  female  native  children,  and  had  long 
supported  one  at  Cutwa  of  that  kind.  My  loss  is 
irreparable,  but  still  I  dare  not  but  perfectly  acquiesce 
in  the  Divine  will.  So  many  merciful  circumstances 
attend  this  very  heavy  affliction  as  still  yield  me 
support  beyond  anything  I  ever  felt  in  other  trials, 
(i.)  I  have  no  domestic  strife  to  reflect  on,  and  add 
bitterness  to  affliction.  (2.)  She  was  ready  to  depart. 
She  had  long  lived  on  the  borders  of  the  heavenly 
land,  and  I  think  lately  became  more  and  more 
heavenly  in  her  thoughts  and  conversation.  (3.)  She 
suffered  no  long  or  painful  affliction.  (4.)  She  was 
removed  from  me,  a  thing  for  which  we  had  frequently 
expressed  our  wishes  to  each  other ;  for  though  I  am 
sure  my  brethren  and  my  children  would  have  done 
the  utmost  in  their  power  to  alleviate  her  affliction 
had  she  survived  me,  yet  no  one,  nor  all  united,  could 
have  supplied  the  place  of  a  husband.  I  have  met 
with  much  sympathy  in  my  affliction.” 


CHAPTER  IX. 


CAREY  AS  A  TRANSLATOR. 


IV  T  O  higher  honour  can  surely  be  attained  by  any 
\  individual  than  that  of  communicating  to  a 
X  \  people  the  revelation  of  God’s  mercy  and  will 
as  it  is  contained  in  the  sacred  Scriptures. 
Such  an  honour  have  not  all  the  saints,  and  amongst 
those  select  few  who  have  possessed  it  none  have 
been  so  honoured  as  the  subject  of  this  memoir.  To 
be  permitted  to  give  the  Bible  to  a  heathen  nation  is 
indeed  to  render  a  service,  the  influence  of  which, 
whilst  increasingly  seen  in  its  purifying  and  ennobling 
effect  upon  the  manners  and  character  of  successive 
generations,  eternity  alone  can  fully  measure. 

In  the  first  chapter  of  this  volume  reference  was 
made  to  Carey’s  early  linguistic  proclivities.  It  is  not 
surprising  that  he  who  as  a  child  had  committed  to 
memory  Dyche’s  Latin  Vocabulary,  and,  as  an 
apprentice  lad,  on  his  first  sight  of  the  characters  of 
the  Greek  alphabet  had  carefully  traced  them,  that  he 
might  carry  the  tracing  to  an  acquaintance  in  his 
village  home  who  had  some  scholarly  learning,  in  the 
earnest  hope  that  he  might  be  able  to  explain  the 

IOI 


102 


WILLIAM  CAREY. 


mysterious  letters,  should,  as  a  missionary,  have 
become  distinguished  by  his  acquisition  of  foreign 
tongues,  and  his  literary  achievements. 

As  soon  as  Carey  acquired  a  sufficient  knowledge 
of  the  vernacular  of  the  people  amongst  whom  he 
settled  on  his  arrival  in  India,  he  began,  with  that 
plodding  which  was  so  conspicuous  a  characteristic  in 
his  disposition,  to  apply  himself  to  the  work  of  trans¬ 
lation.  During  his  voyage  he  had  made  such  progress 
under  the  instruction  of  John  Thomas  as  to  have 
commenced  writing  Bengalee.  And  within  two 
months  of  landing  he  actually  began  the  correction  of 
Genesis ;  and  was  at  once  practically  initiated  into 
the  immense  difficulties  of  the  task  upon  which  he 
had  thus  early  entered.  After  a  week  had  elapsed  he 
had  finished  correcting  the  first  chapter,  the  moonshee 
saying  it  was  rendered  into  very  good  Bengalee.  On 
showing  it  to  a  pundit,  the  learned  man  expressed  his 
pleasure  with  the  account  of  the  creation,  but 
remarked  the  omission  of  any  mention  of  a  region 
beneath  the  earth  ;  to  whom  Carey  communicated 
the  new  idea  that  the  earth  was  a  planet,  and  that  the 
heavens  and  the  earth  included  all  the  material 
creation.  As  he  realised  more  fully  the  nature  of 
the  Bengalee  tongue,  its  beauty  and  copiousness,  he 
found  his  work  of  translation  an  interesting  and 
delightful  employment.  His  imperfect  knowledge 
of  the  language  necessarily  made  his  task  exceed¬ 
ingly  difficult,  but  the  hope  of  acquiring  it,  to  use  his 
own  words,  put  fresh  life  into  his  soul ;  and  he  was 
constrained  to  bless  God,  because  he  was  able  to  go 
through  nearly  a  chapter  every  day,  comparing  it 
with  all  the  versions  he  possessed.  The  fact  of  two 
languages  being  spoken,  Bengalee  and  Hindoostanee, 
was  a  considerable  embarrassment,  but  he  was  able  to 


CAREY  AS  A  TRANSLATOR. 


103 


write  thus  in  his  journal :  “  I  understand  a  little  of 
both,  and  I  hope  to  be  master  of  both  in  time.”  In 
August,  1795,  writing  from  Mudnabatty  to  the 
Society  he  said  :  “  The  translation  of  the  Bible  is 
going  on,  though  it  may  be  thought  but  slowly. 
I  hope  we  shall  be  able  to  put  Genesis,  or  more,  to 
the  press  by  Christmas.  We  have,  for  the  present, 
given  up  the  idea  of  getting  types  from  England  ;  and, 
as  there  are  types  in  Bengal,  we  think  to  print  in 
the  ordinary  way,  though  the  expense  is  about  ten 
times  what  it  is  in  England.  This  will,  however,  be 
more  than  compensated  by  the  reflection  that  we 
have  put  into  the  hands  of  many  heathens  a  treasure 
greater  than  that  of  diamonds,  and  by  multiplying 
copies,  rendered  it  probable  that  those  Scriptures  will 
be  preserved  in  the  Bengal  tongue.” 

As  soon  as  a  portion  of  the  Scriptures  was  trans¬ 
lated  it  was  Carey’s  practice  to  read  it  to  several 
hundreds  of  the  natives ;  in  that  way  he  ascertained 
how  much  of  it  could  be  understood,  but  he  found 
that  as  far  as  the  poor  were  concerned  very  many 
of  the  terms  were  quite  unintelligible,  inasmuch  as 
they  had  “  scarce  a  word  in  use  about  religion,  having 
no  word  for  love,  for  repent,  and  a  thousand  other 
things.”  Though  he  sometimes  felt  discouraged,  his 
desire  for  the  work  grew.  “  Blessed  be  God,”  he 
could  say,  “  I  feel  a  growing  desire  to  be  always 
abounding  in  the  work  of  the  Lord  ;  and  I  know  that 
my  labours  will  not  be  in  vain  in  the  Lord,”  adding 
in  his  beautiful  humility,  “  I  am  encouraged  by  our 
Lord’s  expression  :  ‘  He  that  reapeth  (in  this  harvest) 
receiveth  wages  and  gathereth  fruit  unto  eternal  life.’ 
If  like  David  I  am  only  an  instrument  of  gathering 
materials,  and  another  build  the  house,  I  trust  my  joy 
will  not  be  the  less.” 


104 


WILLIAM  CAREY. 


Before  the  close  of  1795,  he  began  to  compose 
a  compendious  grammar  of  the  language,  and  entered 
upon  the  stupendous  task  of  compiling  a  dictionary. 
By  the  middle  of  the  following  year  we  find  him  able 
to  report  to  Mr.  Fuller  almost  the  completion  of  the 
New  Testament,  and  the  Pentateuch  ;  at  the  same 
time  appealing  to  the  Society  for  an  annual  grant 
of  at  least  a  hundred  pounds  to  be  applied  to  the 
purposes  of  printing,  and  educating  the  youth.  The 
application  met  with  a  cheerful  response ;  and  was 
accompanied  with  the  suggestion  that  select  parts 
of  the  sacred  Scriptures  should  be  published,  and  not 
wait  for  the  completion  of  the  whole.  About  this 
time,  Thomas  wrote,  “  Brother  Carey  labours  most 
abundantly  at  the  translation,  and  increases  greatly 
in  the  knowledge  of  the  language.” 

In  November,  1796,  Mr.  Pearce  of  Birmingham 
received  a  letter  from  Carey,  part  of  which  we  cannot 
withhold : — 

“  Although  I  have  not  written  in  the  most  en¬ 
couraging  manner  respecting  my  own  labours ;  yet 
do  not  suppose  that  I  am  weary  of  my  work.  No 
I  would  not,  for  all  the  finest  stations  in  England  put 
together,  abandon  the  mission  to  the  heathen  :  I  have 
much  within  and  much  without  to  lament,  but  I  am 
in  my  element — nay,  I  am  but  as  it  were  beginning 
to  enjoy  the  pleasure  of  communicating  my  heart 
to  these  people  of  so  very  strange  speech ;  I  begin 
to  feel  a  sacred  and  increasing  pleasure  in  the  con¬ 
templation  of  the  certain  downfall  of  the  kingdom 
of  darkness  in  this  long,  long  benighted  region.  The 
work  to  which  Christ  has  put  His  hand  will  infallibly 
prosper.  .  .  .  The  New  Testament  is  nearly  trans¬ 
lated.  Now  the  publishing  of  it  is  a  very  great  object , 
and  I  greatly  desire  that  something  may  be  done 


CAREY  AS  A  TRANSLATOR. 


105 


to  that  purpose  before  I  die,  lest  it  be  mangled  or 
perhaps  lost ;  for  it  does  not  appear  so  great  an  object 
to  every  one  as  it  does  to  me.” 

By  March,  1797,  the  New  Testament  was  completed, 
but  required  several  revisions  before  being  finally 
prepared  for  the  press.  It  was  not  until  1801,  as 
we  have  seen  in  a  previous  chapter,  that  the  precious 
volume  was  published  ;  in  the  meantime  the  trans¬ 
lation  of  the  Old  Testament  was  carried  on  with 
vigour.  The  care  with  which  Carey  prosecuted  his 
work  is  strikingly  seen  in  the  way  with  which  he 
submitted  certain  critical  difficulties  to  the  judgment 
of  his  friend,  Dr.  Ryland,  whose  Hebrew  scholarship 
was  of  high  order.  After  citing  the  passages  upon 
which  he  desired  the  Doctor’s  help,  he  adds,  “  I  have 
been  thus  particular,  because  I  consider  the  importance 
of  having  the  translation  as  just  as  possible.  If  an 
individual  draws  wrong  conclusions,  or  false  doctrines 
from  Scripture,  they  may  be  refuted  or  corrected 
by  recurring  to  the  words  of  Scripture  itself ;  and 
even  a  false  translation  in  a  country  like  England 
could  not  be  productive  of  lasting  mischief,  because 
the  Hebrew  Scriptures  may  be  consulted  and  the 
error  detected  ;  but  here  a  mistake  would  be  like 
poison  at  the  fountain  head.” 

The  year  1809  was  the  memorable  year  in  which 
the  Bengalee  Version  was  completed.  In  September 
of  that  year  Carey  was  able  to  inform  Sutcliff  that 
the  translation  had  been  finished  the  last  Monday 
in  June,  and  the  last  sheet  printed  the  week  previous 
to  the  date  of  his  letter. 

But  the  preparation  of  the  Bengalee  Version  did 
not  consume  the  whole  of  the  time  and  energies  of 
the  Serampore  brethren,  for,  contemporaneously  with 
that  undertaking,  other  important  work  in  translating 


106  WILLIAM  CAREY. 

had  received  attention.  We  say  the  Serampore 
brethren ,  because  it  must  never  be  forgotten  that 
Carey  was  largely  assisted  by  his  colleagues.  How 
justly  Carey  himself  recognised  their  co-operation 
the  following  letter  to  Dr.  Ryland  will  show.  The 
letter  too  is  of  interest  from  the  fact  that  it  not  only 
gives  credit  to  their  labours,  but  expresses  the  willing¬ 
ness  and  delight  with  which  he  recognised  the  efforts 
of  others  who  were  not  of  Serampore. 

“We  sometime  ago  engaged  in  an  undertaking, 
of  which  we  intended  to  say  nothing  until  it  was 
accomplished  ;  but  an  unforeseen  providence  made 
it  necessary  for  us  to  disclose  it.  It  is  as  follows : 
About  a  year  and  a  half  ago,  some  attempts  were 
made  to  engage  Mr.  Gilchrist  in  the  translation  of 
the  Scripture  into  the  Hindoostanee  language.  By 
something  or  other  it  was  put  by.  The  Persian  was 
also  at  the  same  time  much  talked  of,  but  given  up, 
or  rather  not  engaged  in.  At  this  time  several  con¬ 
siderations  prevailed  upon  us  to  set  ourselves  silently 
to  work  upon  a  translation  into  these  languages. 
We  accordingly  hired  two  moonshees  to  assist  us 
in  it,  and  each  of  us  took  our  share ;  brother  Marsh- 
man  took  Matthew  and  Luke  ;  brother  Ward,  Mark 
and  John  ;  and  myself,  the  remaining  part  of  the 
New  Testament  into  Hindoostanee.  I  undertook  no 
part  of  the  Persian  ;  but  instead  thereof,  engaged  in 
translating  it  into  Maharastia,  commonly  called  the 
Mahratta  language,  the  person  who  assists  me  in 
the  Hindoostanee  being  a  Mahratta.  Brother  Marsh- 
man  has  finished  Matthew,  and  instead  of  Luke  has 
begun  the  Acts.  Brother  Ward  has  done  part  of  John, 
and  I  have  done  the  Epistles,  and  about  six  chapters 
of  the  Revelation,  and  have  proceeded  as  far  as 
the  second  Epistle  of  the  Corinthians  in  the  revisal ; 


CAREY  AS  A  TRANSLATOR.  107 

they  have  done  a  few  chapters  into  Persian,  and  I  a 
few  into  Mahratta.  Thus  the  matter  stood,  till  a 
few  days  ago  Mr.  Buchanan  informed  me  that  a 
military  gentleman  had  translated  the  Gospels  into 
Hindoostanee  and  Persian,  and  had  made  a  present 
of  them  to  the  College,  and  that  the  College  Council 
had  voted  the  printing  of  them.  This  made  it 
necessary  for  me  to  say  what  we  had  been  about, 
and  had  it  not  been  for  this  circumstance,  we  should 
not  have  said  anything  until  we  had  got  the  New 
Testament  pretty  forward  in  printing.  I  am  very 
glad  that  Major  Colebrooke  has  done  it.  We  will 
gladly  do  what  others  do  not,  and  wish  all  speed  to 
those  who  do  anything  in  this  way.” 

But  whilst  Carey  in  his  humility  and  large  hearted¬ 
ness  was  ever  ready  to  acknowledge  the  co-operation 
of  his  colleagues,  there  can  be  no  question  that  the 
introduction  of  the  Scriptures  to  the  people  of  India 
was  mainly  due  to  his  own  labours.  In  replying  to 
an  objection  which  had  been  raised  by  some  friends 
in  England  as  to  the  employment  of  natives  who  were 
not  Christians  in  the  work  of  translation,  he  uncon¬ 
sciously  bears  testimony  to  the  leading  and  more 
considerable  part  which  he  himself  performed : — 
“  Whatever  helps  we  employ,  I  have  never  yet  suffered 
a  single  word  or  a  single  mode  of  construction  to  pass 
without  examining  it  and  seeing  through  it.  I  read 
every  proof  sheet  twice  or  thrice  myself,  and  correct 
every  letter  with  my  own  hand.  Brother  Marshman 
and  I  compare  with  the  Greek  or  Hebrew,  and 
brother  Ward  reads  every  sheet.  Three  of  the 
translations — viz.,  the  Bengalee,  Hindoostanee,  and 
Sanscrit — I  translate  with  my  own  hand  ;  the  two 
last  immediately  from  the  Greek,  and  the  Hebrew 
Bible  is  before  me  while  I  translate  the  Bengalee.” 


io8 


WILLIAM  CAREY. 


In  the  Society’s  Annual  Report  for  1825,  a  letter 
from  Carey  is  quoted  in  which  he  states  : — “  The  New 
Testament  will  soon  be  published  in  at  least  thirty- 
four  languages,  and  the  Old  Testament  in  eight, 
besides  versions  in  three  varieties  of  the  Hindoostanee 
New  Testament.  These  varieties  excepted,  I  have 
translated  several  of  the  above,  and  superintended 
with  as  much  care  as  I  could  exercise  the  translation 
and  printing  of  them  all.  The  Chinese  Bible,  which 
brother  Marshman  translated  and  conducted  through 
the  press,  is  not  included  in  the  above  number.  ...  I 
think  I  can  speak  with  some  confidence  of  them,  and 
yet  I  am  not  disposed  to  magnify  my  own  labours.” 

The  removal  of  the  Mission  to  Serampore  ;  and  in 
particular  the  position  which  Carey  was  called  to 
occupy  in  the  Government  College  at  Fort- William, 
were  circumstances  of  the  greatest  advantage ;  and 
still  more  was  this  the  case  when,  in  addition  to  his  posi¬ 
tion  as  Teacher  and  Professor  of  Oriental  Languages, 
he  was  appointed  translator  to  the  Government.  His 
official  duties  necessitated  the  employment  of  the 
most  learned  pundits  from  all  parts  of  India  ;  he  was, 
therefore,  brought  into  association  with  eminent 
natives  who  were  able  to  render  him  the  very  best 
possible  assistance. 

As  early  as  the  year  1804  we  find  that  his  ideas 
were  so  extensive  that  he  contemplated  the  transla¬ 
tion  of  the  Bible  into  at  least  seven  languages — viz., 
Bengalee,  Hindoostanee,  Orissa,  Mahratta,  Telinga, 
Kurnata,  and  Tamil ;  besides  the  languages  of 
several  surrounding  nations,  such  as  of  Burmah, 
Malay,  Bhote,  and  China,  with  several  others.  And 
here  let  it  be  observed  that  Carey  had  from  the  first 
been  impressed  with  the  absolute  necessity  of  acquir¬ 
ing  a  knowledge  of  Sanscrit — the  root  language  of 


CAREY  AS  A  TRANSLATOR.  IO9 

many  of  the  Indian  tongues,  and  the  most  difficult 
of  them  all.  And  no  more  convincing  proof  could  be 
given  of  his  linguistic  capacity  and  extraordinary 
industry  than  this  most  astonishing  fact,  that  after 
little  more  than  two  years’  residence  in  India  he  was 
able  to  tell  Dr.  Ryland  that  he  had  read  a  consider¬ 
able  part  of  the  Mahabarat ;  and  two  years  later  he 
had  almost  translated  the  Sanscrit  grammar  and 
dictionary  into  English  ;  and  in  course  of  time  first 
the  New  and  then  the  Old  Testaments  were  issued 
from  the  press,  thus  opening  the  treasures  of  God’s 
Word  to  the  more  learned  part  of  the  community  of 
India. 

Being  fully  alive  to  the  importance  of  laying  a 
foundation  for  Biblical  criticism  in  the  East,  in  1811 
he  resolved  to  prepare  a  grammar  of  all  the  different 
languages  in  which  the  Scriptures  had  been  translated 
or  might  be  translated.  “  Without  some  such  step,” 
he  wrote  to  Dr.  Ryland,  “  they  who  follow  us  will  have 
to  wade  through  the  same  labour  that  I  have,  in  order 
to  stand  merely  upon  the  same  ground  that  I  now 
stand  upon.  If,  however,  elementary  books  are 
provided,  the  labour  will  be  greatly  contracted  ;  and 
a  person  will  be  able  in  a  short  time  to  acquire  that 
which  has  cost  me  years  of  study  and  toil.  The 
necessity  which  lies  upon  me  of  acquiring  so  many 
languages,  obliges  me  to  study  and  write  the  grammar 
of  each  of  them,  and  to  attend  closely  to  their  irregu¬ 
larities  and  peculiarities.  I  have,  therefore,  already 
published  grammars  of  three  of  them  ;  namely,  the 
Sanscrit,  the  Bengalee,  and  the  Mahratta.  To  these 
I  have  resolved  to  add  grammars  of  the  Telinga, 
Kurnata,  Orissa,  Punjabee,  Kashmeera,  Gujeratee, 
Nepalese,  and  Assam  languages.  Two  of  these  are 
now  in  the  press,  and  I  hope  to  have  two  or  three 


1 10 


WILLIAM  CAREY. 


more  of  them  out  by  the  end  of  next  year.  This 
may  not  only  be  useful  in  the  way  I  have  stated,  but 
may  serve  to  furnish  an  answer  to  a  question  which 
has  been  more  than  once  repeated,  ‘  How  can  these 
men  translate  into  so  great  a  number  of  languages  ?  * 

“  Few  people  know  what  may  be  done  till  they  try 
and  persevere  in  what  they  undertake.  I  am  now  print¬ 
ing  a  dictionary  of  the  Bengalee,  which  will  be  pretty 
large,  for  I  have  got  to  page  256,  quarto,  and  am  not 
near  through  the  first  letter.  That  letter,  however, 
begins  more  words  than  any  two  others.  To  secure 
the  gradual  perfection  of  the  translations,  I  have 
also  in  my  mind,  and  indeed  have  been  long  collecting 
materials  for,  an  universal  dictionary  of  the  Oriental 
languages  derived  from  the  Sanscrit.  I  mean  to  take 
the  Sanscrit,  of  course,  as  the  groundwork,  and  to 
give  the  different  acceptations  of  every  word,  with 
examples  of  their  application,  in  the  manner  of 
Johnson,  and  then  to  give  the  synonyms  in  the 
different  languages  derived  from  the  Sanscrit,  with 
the  Hebrew  and  Greek  terms  answering  thereto ; 
always  putting  the  word  derived  from  the  Sanscrit 
term  first,  and  then  those  derived  from  other  sources. 
I  intend  always  to  give  the  etymology  of  the  Sanscrit 
term,  so  that  that  of  the  terms  deduced  from  it  in  the 
cognate  languages  will  be  evident.  This  work  will 
be  great,  and  it  is  doubtful  whether  I  shall  live  to 
complete  it,  but  I  mean  to  begin  to  arrange  the 
materials,  which  I  have  been  some  years  collecting  for 
this  purpose,  as  soon  as  my  Bengalee  dictionary  is 
finished.  Should  I  live  to  accomplish  this,  and  the 
translations  in  hand,  I  think  I  can  then  say,  ‘  Lord, 
now  lettest  Thou  Thy  servant  depart  in  peace.’  ” 
Before  closing  this  chapter,  as  we  propose  to  do, 
with  a  portion  of  one  of  the  Translation  Memoirs — 


CAREY  AS  A  TRANSLATOR.  Ill 

memoirs  which  were  issued  at  intervals  for  the  sake 
of  informing  friends  at  home  as  to  the  progress 
which  was  being  made — the  mention  of  one  or  two 
incidents  must  not  be  omitted. 

The  improvement  upon  the  native  paper  for  press 
purposes,  by  manufacturing  it  so  as  to  be  proof 
against  the  destructive  attacks  of  insects,  was  an 
immense  advantage ;  indeed,  unless  some  antidote 
could  have  been  devised  it  had  been  almost  useless  to 
have  continued  the  publication  of  the  Scriptures,  for 
the  native  method  of  paper  manufacturing  was  such 
as  to  render  books  made  of  it  invariably  a  prey  to 
worms  and  insects  in  the  space  of  five  or  six  years. 
According  to  Mr.  John  Clarke  Marshman,  without 
incessant  care  were  exercised,  the  first  sheets  of  a 
work  which  lingered  in  the  press  were  devoured  by 
the  voracious  insects  before  the  last  sheets  were 
printed.  The  missionaries,  however,  became  equal  to 
the  necessity,  and  found  a  preventive,  which  effectually 
defied  the  destroyer. 

The  importation  of  a  steam-engine  of  twelve  horse¬ 
power  for  working  their  paper-mill  was  a  striking 
evidence  of  the  enterprising  spirit  of  the  missionaries. 
This  steam-engine,  to  quote  again  Mr.  Marshman,  was 
the  first  ever  erected  in  India,  and  excited  almost  as 
much  interest  as  the  first  steamboat  or  the  first 
railway.  The  natives  crowded  to  see  “  the  machine 
of  fire,”  as  they  called  it,  which  equalled  the  achieve¬ 
ments  of  Vishwu  Kurmu  the  architect  of  the  gods. 
Gentlemen  of  scientific  tastes  who  had  never  had 
an  opportunity  of  seeing  a  steam-engine  came  to 
Serampore,  and  studied  its  mechanism  under  the 
instructions  of  the  engineer. 

On  the  ioth  of  March,  1812,  a  most  serious 
calamity  overtook  the  missionaries’  printing-office. 


WILLIAM  CAEEY. 


1 12 

A  Fire,  which  raged  for  three  days,  inflicted  most 
distressing  loss  ;  several  founts  of  type,  large  quantities 
of  paper,  numerous  copies  of  the  Serampore  works 
and  other  books,  and  most  pitiable  of  all,  many 
valuable  manuscripts,  not  to  mention  furniture,  were 
destroyed.  Of  manuscripts  Carey  suffered  most,  his 
loss  included  thirty  pages  of  his  Bengal  Dictionary ; 
and  the  whole  of  the  materials  he  had  been  collecting 
for  years,  wherewith  to  make  his  dictionary  of  all  the 
languages  derived  from  the  Sanscrit.  Such,  however, 
was  his  tenacity  of  purpose  that  he  did  not  for  a 
moment  despair,  but  cherished  the  hope  that  he  might 
be  enabled  to  repair  the  loss,  and  complete  his 
favourite  scheme  should  his  life  be  prolonged. 

The  total  loss  was  estimated  at  nearly  .£10,000. 
But  so  remarkable  was  the  degree  of  sympathy 
excited  amongst  the  friends  of  the  Mission  at  home, 
that  the  Secretary,  Mr.  Fuller,  had  the  unspeakable 
pleasure  of  intimating  to  the  Committee  that  no  more 
contributions  were  needed,  the  whole  sum  required 
having  been  subscribed  in  fifty  days.  One  who  was 
present  at  the  Committee  meeting  has  recorded  the 
words  in  which  Mr.  Fuller  made  this  welcome 
announcement:  “Well  brethren!  the  money  is  all 
paid,  the  loss  by  the  Serampore  fire  is  all  repaired  ; 
and  so  constantly  are  the  contributions  pouring  in 
from  all  parties,  in  and  out  of  the  denomination,  that 
I  think  we  must  in  honesty  publish  an  intimation 
that  the  whole  deficiency  for  which  we  appealed  to 
them  is  removed.  They  are  of  so  ready  a  mind  that 
we  must  even  stop  the  contributions.” 

It  should  be  stated  in  this  chapter  that  a  Bible 
Society,  auxiliary  to  the  parent  Society  in  London, 
had  been  established  at  Calcutta,  taking  the  place  of 
the  corresponding  committee  of  which  Carey  and  his 


CAREY  AS  A  TRANSLATOR.  1 1 3 

two  colleagues  were  original  members.  From  this 
Society  the  Serampore  brethren  received  from  time  to 
time  substantial  help  in  publishing  their  trans¬ 
lations. 

As  intimated  above,  it  was  the  custom  of  the 
missionaries  to  acquaint  the  friends  of  the  Mission 
with  their  progress  in  the  work  of  translation  by 
publishing  what  they  designated  memoirs.  And  no 
truer  idea  can  be  obtained  of  their  prodigious  labours, 
and  their  astonishing  erudition  than  by  perusing  one 
of  these  statements.  Let  parts  of  the  seventh  memoir 
be  reproduced  and  be  read  with  the  remembrance 
that  by  far  the  major  portion  of  the  results  enumerated 
were  effected  by  Carey  : — 

“  1.  In  Bengalee,  the  fifth  edition  of  the  New 
Testament,  containing  5000  copies,  which  was  printed 
off  about  three  years  ago,  is  nearly  exhausted,  and  of 
the  different  parts  of  the  Old,  scarcely  a  single  copy 
has  been  left  for  some  time  past.  The  continual 
demand  for  this  version,  therefore,  has  rendered  it 
necessary  to  print  a  new  edition  of  the  whole 
Scriptures.  This  edition,  which  will  form  the  sixth 
edition  of  the  New  Testament,  and  the  third  of  the 
Psalms,  and  some  other  parts  of  the  Old  Testament, 
will  consist  of  4000  copies,  and  of  the  New  Testament 
2000  extra,  the  demand  being  so  very  great.  By 
using  a  new  fount  of  types,  of  a  reduced  size,  and 
printing  in  double  columns,  on  a  large  octavo  page, 
the  brethren  hope  to  bring  the  whole  five  volumes 
into  one  volume  of  about  1300  pages,  royal  octavo, 
and  two  very  moderate  volumes,  and  the  New 
Testament  into  a  neat  duodecimo  of  about  400  pages. 

“2.  In  the  Sanscrit,  the  last  volume  of  the  Old 
Testament  was  printed  off  about  two  years  ago. 
The  first  edition  of  the  New  Testament  is  quite 

H 


U4 


WILLIAM  CAREY. 


exhausted,  and  the  numerous  calls  for  the  Scriptures 
in  this  language  by  the  literati  of  India  have  induced 
the  brethren  to  put  to  press  a  second  edition  of  the 
whole  Scriptures.  This  will  likewise  be  printed  in 
double  columns,  in  the  large  octavo  size,  and  the  whole 
Scriptures  be  comprised  in  one  volume.  It  will 
consist  of  2000  copies,  with  an  extra  number  of  2000 
New  Testaments. 

“3.  In  the  Hindee,  also,  the  last  volume  of  the  Old 
Testament  was  published  nearly  two  years  ago.  The 
edition  of  the  New  Testament  being  nearly  exhausted, 
and  Mr.  Chamberlain  having  prepared  another  version 
of  the  New  Testament  in  this  language,  for  which  his 
long  residence  in  the  western  provinces  of  India,  and 
his  intimate  acquaintance  with  their  popular  dialects 
eminently  fit  him,  the  brethren  have  resolved  in  this 
edition  to  print  his  version  of  the  New  Testament, 
instead  of  their  own  ;  as  a  comparison  of  independent 
versions,  made  by  persons  long  and  intimately 
acquainted  with  the  language,  will  be  of  the  utmost 
value  in  ultimately  forming  a  correct,  chaste,  and 
perspicuous  version  in  this  widely  extended  language. 

“  Of  this  edition  of  the  New  Testament,  which  is 
more  than  half  through  the  press,  they  are  printing 
2000  copies. 

“4.  In  the  Orissa  language  the  whole  Scriptures  have 
been  long  published.  The  first  edition  of  the  New 
Testament  being  exhausted,  and  the  demand  for  this 
version  still  increasing,  the  brethren  have  prepared  a 
second  edition,  which  is  half  through  the  press.  It 
consists  of  4000  copies. 

“  5.  The  last  volume  of  the  Old  Testament  in  the 
Mahratta  language  was  published  many  months  ago, 
so  that  a  version  of  the  whole  Scriptures  in  that 
language  is  now  completed.  Of  the  first  edition  of 


CAREY  AS  A  TRANSLATOR.  I  I  5 

the  New  Testament  not  a  single  copy  being  left,  they 
have  put  to  press  a  second  edition,  in  a  duodecimo  size. 

“  In  these  five  languages  the  whole  of  the  Scriptures 
are  now  published  and  in  circulation  ;  in  the  last  four 
of  them  second  editions  of  the  New  Testament  are  in 
the  press,  and  in  the  first,  the  Bengalee,  begun  twenty- 
six  years  ago,  the  sixth  edition  of  the  New  Testament. 
In  the  following  ten  languages  the  New  Testament  is 
published  or  nearly  so,  and  in  some  of  them  the 
Pentateuch,  and  other  parts  of  the  Old  Testament. 

“  i.  In  the  Chinese  language  the  translation  of  the 
Old  Testament  was  completed  several  years  ago.  In 
addition  to  the  New  Testament,  the  Pentateuch,  the 
Hagiographa,  and  the  Prophetic  Books  are  now 
printed  off.  The  Historical  books,  which  will  com¬ 
plete  the  whole  Scriptures,  are  in  the  press,  and  will 
probably  be  published  before  the  end  of  the  ensuing 
year. 

“2.  In  the  Sikh  language,  besides  the  New  Testa¬ 
ment,  the  Pentateuch  and  the  Historical  Books  are 
printed  off ;  and  the  Hagiographa  is  advanced  as  far 
as  the  middle  of  the  book  of  Job.  So  strong,  how¬ 
ever,  has  been  the  desire  of  this  nation  for  the  New 
Testament,  that  the  whole  edition  is  nearly  distri¬ 
buted,  and  a  second  edition  will  probably  be  called 
for  before  the  Old  Testament  is  wholly  published. 

“  Excepting  the  Mugs  on  the  borders  of  Arracan,  no 
one  of  the  nations  of  India  has  discovered  a  stronger 
desire  for  the  Scriptures  than  this  hardy  race ;  and 
the  distribution  of  almost  every  copy  has  been  accom¬ 
panied  with  the  pleasing  hope  of  its  being  read  and 
valued. 

“3.  In  the  Pushtoo  or  Afghan  languages,  the  nation 
supposed  by  some  to  be  descended  from  the  ten 
tribes,  the  New  Testament  has  been  printed  off.  The 


WILLIAM  CAREY. 


116 

Pentateuch  is  also  advanced  at  press  as  far  as  the 
book  of  Leviticus. 

“4.  In  the  Telinga  or  Telugu  language,  the  New 
Testament  was  published  two  years  ago,  and  the 
Pentateuch  is  printed  as  far  as  the  book  of  Leviticus. 
This  translation,  however,  when  the  Pentateuch  is 
finished,  the  brethren  intend  to  resign  to  the  Madras 
Auxiliary  Bible  Society. 

“  5.  In  the  Kunkuna  language,  the  New  Testament 
was  completed  above  eighteen  months  ago,  and  the 
Pentateuch  is  advanced  at  press  as  far  as  the  book  of 
Numbers.  As  this  province  comes  immediately  under 
the  care  of  the  Bombay  Bible  Society,  it  is  intended, 
on  the  completion  of  the  Pentateuch  at  press,  to 
relinquish  this  translation  to  them. 

“6.  In  the  Wuch  or  Mooltanee  language,  the  New 
Testament  has  been  printed  off  these  eighteen  months 
in  its  own  character.  But,  as  the  opportunities  for 
distributing  this  version  have  been  exceedingly 
limited,  and  they  (the  missionaries)  have  little  pros¬ 
pect  of  establishing  a  mission  in  that  province,  they 
have  dismissed  the  pundit  and  discontinued  the 
translation,  till  these  circumstances,  with  those  of  a 
pecuniary  nature,  shall  be  more  favourable. 

“7.  In  the  Assam  language,  also,  the  New  Testament 
has  been  printed  off  nearly  two  years,  and  the  vicinity 
of  this  country  to  Bengal  rendering  it  highly  desir¬ 
able  to  proceed  with  the  translation,  an  edition  of  the 
Old  Testament  has  been  put  to  press  in  the  large 
octavo  size,  in  double  columns,  which  will  very  consid¬ 
erably  lessen  the  expense,  the  character  being  similar 
to  the  Bengalee,  both  in  form  and  size. 

“8.  In  the  Gujuratee  language,  the  New  Testament 
is  now  happily  brought  through  the  press,  thirteen 
years  after  retaining  the  first  pundit  in  this  language. 


CAREY  AS  A  TRANSLATOR. 


II 7 


It  makes  between  eight  and  nine  hundred  pages,  and 
is  printed  in  the  Deva  Naguree  character.  This 
translation  the  brethren  intend  to  resign  to  their 
brethren  from  the  London  Missionary  Society,  who 
are  now  studying  the  language,  that  they  may  give 
their  attention  more  fully  to  those  in  which  no  others 
are  engaged. 

“9.  In  the  Bikaneer  language,  also,  the  New  Testa¬ 
ment  is  now  finished  at  press.  It  contains  eight 
hundred  pages,  and  is  printed  in  the  Naguree 
character.  This  version  was  begun  nearly  seven 
years  ago. 

“  10.  To  these  we  may  add  the  New  Testament  in 
the  Kashmeer  language,  which  version  has  been  in 
hand  nearly  eight  years,  and  will  be  finished  at  press 
in  about  a  month.  It  is  printed  in  a  neat  type  of  its 
own,  as  mentioned  in  a  former  memoir.  In  these  ten 
languages  the  New  Testament  may  be  considered  as 
being  published.  Besides  these  fifteen  in  which  the 
New  Testament  is  completed,  there  are  six  other 
languages  in  which  it  is  brought  more  than  half 
through  the  press.  These  are,  the  Kurnata,  the 
Nepal,  the  Harotee,  the  Marwar,  the  Bhughulkund, 
and  the  Oojein  versions.  About  ten  months  more, 
they  have  reason  to  hope,  will  bring  these  through  the 
press,  and  thus  in  twenty-one  of  the  languages  of 
India,  and  these  by  far  the  most  extensive  and 
important,  the  New  Testament  will  be  published.  It 
is  the  intention  of  the  brethren  to  relinquish  the  first 
of  these,  the  Kurnata,  to  the  Madras  Bible  Society,  on 
the  New  Testament  being  completed,  that  the};-  may 
be  better  able  to  attend  to  the  remaining  languages  in 
which  no  version  is  begun  by  any  one  besides. 

“  The  remaining  versions  now  in  hand  are  the 
following  ten,  which  are  all  in  the  press — 


1 1 8 


WILLIAM  CAREY. 


“The  Jumboo,  Kanouj,  and  Khassee,  printed  as  far 
as  John ;  the  Khoshul,  Bhutuneer,  Dogura,  and 
Magudha,  to  Mark  ;  and  the  Kumaoon,  Gudwal,  and 
Munipoora,  to  Matthew. 

“  In  these  ten  versions,  therefore,  a  sufficient  progress 
is  made  to  render  the  completion  of  them  in  no  way 
difficult.  In  comparing  this  memoir  with  the  last,  it 
will  be  seen,  that  in  several  of  the  languages  mentioned 
therein,  the  translation  has  been  discontinued.  To 
this  the  brethren  have  been  constrained  by  the  low 
state  of  the  translation  fund,  arising  principally  from 
the  heavy  expenses  occasioned  by  new  editions  of  the 
Sanscrit,  the  Bengalee,  the  Hindee,  and  the  Orissa 
languages  now  in  the  press.  In  discontinuing  these, 
however,  they  have  been  guided  by  a  due  considera¬ 
tion  of  the  importance  and  the  distinctness  of  the 
different  languages  in  which  they  are  engaged,  as  well 
as  the  ease  with  which  pundits  could  be  procured, 
should  the  public  enable  them  to  resume  them 
again.” 

Besides  these  versions,  founts  of  type  of  other 
languages  were  prepared  at  the  Mission  Press — such 
as  that  of  the  Persian  for  Henry  Martyn’s  version, 
and  the  Cingalese. 

After  the  publication  of  this  memoir  of  the  transla¬ 
tions,  the  work  at  the  Press  continued  unremitting, 
until,  at  the  time  of  Carey’s  death,  the  entire  Scriptures 
or  portions  of  them  had  been  translated  into  forty 
languages  or  dialects  ;  and  between  the  issue  of  the 
ninth  and  tenth  memoir,  an  interval  of  nine  years,  no 
less  than  ninety-nine  thousand  volumes ,  or  upwards 
of  thirty-one  million  pages  of  the  Old  and  New  Testa¬ 
ments  passed  through  the  press. 

It  must  not,  however,  be  supposed  that  the  transla¬ 
tions  were  incapable  of  improvement.  Carey  was 


FAC-SIMILE  OF  THE  TEXT,  “The  people  which 
sat  in  darkness  saw  great  light”  (Matt.  iv.  16),  in 
the  following  Eastern  languages:— 


1.  Bengalee. 

2.  Orissa. 

3.  Hindoostanee,  or  Urdu. 

4.  Sanscrit. 

5.  Telinga,  or  Telegu. 

6.  Kurnata. 


7.  Afghan. 

8.  Burman. 

9.  Tamil. 

10.  Cingalese. 
1  r.  Malay. 

12.  Chinese. 


1  cx  cite  otssIcs  sfijittfer  sfefai  n$.i  stfpji 

3  3T  siqr  aram* §3  5r  3^in  a3t  Trasft 

4 


5  0»9‘r'cTtKiSotj:  s eT'ssco 

6  l&^sSoQ  irgSc&d  foSg-frl 

7  S**  n  c“~'*  *i  *?  (jdi  iisSj* 

8  eptjAGcA  ^w&S@^33g|o^oo£o£co 

9  cSl  ‘5S’WLlk  Ox^nljti 

10  q2oerJ®6»^^@(§c3E3j 

H  ^  yTliU  ^  ^  ll  jft 

12  €  ^  ^  =fe  it&  ^ 

2  ®  ^  El  st  *g  se  *v -  £ 


120 


WILLIAM  CAREY. 


well  aware  that  he  was  laying  the  foundation  upon 
which  others  might  work.  His  successors,  Dr.  Yates 
and  Dr.  Wenger  entered  into  his  labours,  making  the 
versions  more  perfect.  The  latter  eminent  man  thus 
refers  to  his  own  and  Dr.  Yates’s  efforts  upon  the 
Bengalee  Bible : — “  That  it  will  be  the  final  or 
standard  version  I  do  not  expect,  for  the  language  is 
still  in  a  transition  state,  and  is  an  awkward  medium 
of  expressing  true  and  Christian  ideas  in  religion. 
When  Dr.  Carey  came,  he  found  the  language  scarcely 
so  far  advanced  as  the  Greek  was  in  the  time  of 
Homer.  All  the  literature  was  of  a  poetical  nature, 
and  poetry  not  like  Homer’s  as  to  the  ideas  and  the 
colouring,  but  like  the  poorer  parts  of  the  Odyssey  as 
to  versification.  Dr.  Carey  was  the  first  Bengalee 
prose  writer  of  any  note.  Since  then,  the  language 
has  made  rapid  strides ;  but  when  it  has  become 
thoroughly  Christianised  it  will  be  something  very 
different.” 

The  testimony  of  Dr.  Wenger  to  Carey’s  prodigious 
achievements  will  suitably  bring  this  chapter  to  a 
close.  In  a  speech  he  delivered  at  a  public  meeting 
in  1875  he  said,  “I  feel  bound  to  state  that  it  passes 
my  comprehension  how  Dr.  Carey  was  able  to  accom¬ 
plish  one  fourth  of  his  translations.  They  were 
pre-eminently  useful  in  their  day.  About  twenty  years 
ago,  when  some  friends  wished  to  introduce  the 
Gospel  among  the  Afghans  near  the  Peshawur 
frontier,  they  found  that  the  only  version  intelligible 
to  those  people  was  the  Pushtoo  version  of  the  New 
Testament  made  at  Serampore  by  Dr.  Carey.” 


* 


CHAPTER  X. 


M 


CAREY  AS  A  PHILANTHROPIST. 

ISSIONARIES  have  ever  been  first  and 
foremost  in  seeking  the  amelioration  of  the 
social  and  civil  condition  of  the  people 
amongst  whom  they  have  lived  and  laboured. 
How  could  it  have  been  otherwise  with  those  whose 
Great  Master  was,  and  is,  the  Friend  of  man  ;  who 
are  the  bearers  of  a  Gospel,  the  principles  of  which 
are  antagonistic  to  all  oppression  and  cruelty  and 
wrong.  To  stimulate  and  assist  the  endeavours  of 
statesmen  who  have  sought  the  repeal  of  unjust  and 
inhuman,  or  the  enactment  of  righteous  and  beneficent 
laws  ;  to  teach  the  ignorant  the  first  rudiments  of 
knowledge  ;  to  instruct  the  barbarous  in  the  primary 
arts  of  civilization  ;  to  systematise  languages  and 
create  literature ;  to  deliver  from  the  abominable  and 
hurtful  customs  of  ancient  superstitions  ;  to  help  to 
strike  the  shackles  from  the  slave ;  to  relieve  the 
hunger  of  the  famine  stricken  ;  to  heal  bodily  diseases 
and  sicknesses  ;  to  raise  woman  to  her  true  position  ; 
to  transform  the  habitations  of  cruelty  into  homes  of 

1 2  I 


122 


WILLIAM  CAREY. 


purity  and  love — these  humane  objects,  these  kindly 
ministries  have  ever  possessed  the  sympathies  and 
commanded  the  energies  of  the  missionaries  of  the 
Cross.  As  time  passes  on,  and  their  work  is  being 
better  understood,  and  their  influence  more  truly 
gauged,  testimonies  are  multiplying  as  to  their  mani¬ 
fold  and  benevolent  usefulness.  Men  of  high  civic 
positions,  and  even  Government  blue  books  are  not 
withholding  their  commendations. 


CHILD  SACRIFICE  IN  THE  GANGES. 


It  was  fitting  that  the  first  English  missionary 
sent  forth  by  the  first  English  Society  should  lead  the 
way  in  philanthropic  well-doing.  And  no  memoir  of 
William  Carey  would  be  complete  which  did  not 
record  his  benevolent  endeavours  to  improve  the 
social  condition  of  the  natives  of  India. 

The  first  reform  which  Carey  helped  to  effect  was  the 
prohibition  of  the  sacrifice  of  children  at  the  great  annual 


CAREY  AS  A  PHILANTHROPIST. 


123 


festival  at  Gunga  Saugor.  The  supposed  virtue  of  this 
particular  place  was  thought  to  arise  from  its  geogra¬ 
phical  situation.  Gunga  is  the  word  for  Ganges,  and 
Saugor  for  sea,  and  as  at  this  particular  spot  the 
river  flowed  into  the  sea,  the  confluence  was  believed 
to  give  special  sanctity.  Sacrifices  were  consequently 
held  to  be  of  great  merit,  and  many  were  the  children 
who  year  by  year  were  drowned  in  the  waters  or 
devoured  by  alligators  and  sharks. 

In  the  year  1801,  Carey’s  friend,  Mr.  Udney, 
entered  the  Supreme  Council.  He  at  once  directed 
the  attention  of  Lord  Wellesley  to  these  inhuman 
practices,  and  with  such  effect  that  Carey  was 
instructed  to  inquire  into  the  matter  and  report  to 
Government,  this  commission  being  intrusted  to 
him  on  account  of  his  position  at  Fort -William 
College.  His  report  was  to  include  the  results  of 
inquiries  into  other  superstitious  customs  as  well  as 
the  sacrifice  of  children ;  and,  as  he  assured  Mr. 
Fuller  would  be  the  case,  he  made  his  report  as  full 
as  possible.  In  this  report  he  declared  that  the 
Hindoo  shasters  gave  no  warrant  for  the  Gunga 
Saugor  perpetrations.  That  declaration  afforded  the 
Governor-General  the  justification  he  required  for 
issuing  a  proclamation  making  the  custom  illegal. 
And  when  the  next  festival  recurred,  Sepoys  were 
despatched  to  the  spot  to  see  that  the  law  was 
observed.  And  strange  to  say,  the  natives  quietly 
assented,  so  much  so  that  in  the  course  of  time  the 
practice  of  these  cruelties  not  only  fell  into  disuse, 
but  was  even  denied  to  have  ever  existed. 

Another  abomination,  to  the  abolition  of  which 
Carey  directed  his  most  determined  efforts,  was 
Suttee :  the  immolation  of  widows  on  the  burning  pile 
of  their  dead  husbands.  Very  graphic  is  the  descrip- 


124 


WILLIAM  CAREY. 


tion  he  sent  to  Dr.  Ryland,  of  his  first  acquaintance 
with  that  horrible  superstition — “  As  I  was  returning 
from  Calcutta,  I  saw  the  Sahamoron,  or  a  woman 
burning  herself  with  the  corpse  of  her  husband,  for 
the  first  time  in  my  life.  We  were  near  the  village  of 
Noya  Serai  (Rennel,  in  his  chart  of  the  Hooghly 
River,  spells  it  Niaserai) ;  as  it  was  evening,  we  got  out 
of  the  boat  to  walk,  when  we  saw  a  number  of  people 
assembled  on  the  river  side.  I  asked  them,  for  what 
they  were  met ;  and  they  told  me,  to  burn  the  body 
of  a  dead  man.  I  inquired  whether  his  wife  would  die 
with  him.  They  answered  yes  ;  and  pointed  to  the 
woman.  She  was  standing  by  the  pile,  which  was 
made  of  large  billets  of  wood  about  two  feet  and 
a-half  long,  and  two  wide ;  on  the  top  of  which  lay 
the  dead  body  of  her  husband.  Her  nearest  relation 
stood  by  her,  and  near  her  was  a  small  basket  of 
sweetmeats,  called  kivy^.  I  asked  them,  whether  this 
was  the  woman’s  chofce,  or  whether  she  was  brought 
to  it  by  any  improper  influence.  They  answered 
that  it  was  perfectly  voluntary.  I  talked  till  reason¬ 
ing  was  of  no  use,  and  then  began  to  exclaim  with  all 
my  might  against  what  they  were  doing,  telling  them 
that  it  was  a  shocking  murder.  They  told  me  i£  was 
a  great  act  of  holiness,  and  added  in  a  very  surly 
manner,  that  it  I  did  not  like  to  see  it,  I  might  go 
farther  off,  and  desired  me  to  go.  I  told  them  that 
I  would  not  go ;  that  I  was  determined  to  stay  and 
see  the  murder,  and  that  I  should  certainly  bear 
witness  of  it  at  the  tribunal  of  God.  I  exhorted  the 
woman  not  to  throw  away  her  life,  to  fear  nothing, 
for  no  evil  would  follow  her  refusing  to  burn. 
But  she  in  the  calmest  manner  mounted  the  pile,  and 
danced  on  it,  with  her  hands  extended  as  if  in  the 
utmost  tranquillity  of  spirit.  Previous  to  her  mount- 


CAREY  AS  A  PHILANTHROPIST. 


125 


ing  the  pile,  the  relation  whose  office  it  was  to  set 
fire  to  it,  led  her  six  times  round  it,  at  two  intervals  ; 
that  is,  thrice  at  each  circumambulation.  As  she 
went  round,  she  scattered  the  sweetmeats  above  men¬ 
tioned  among  the  people,  who  picked  them  up  and  ate 
them  as  very  holy  things.  This  being  ended,  and  she 
having  mounted  the  pile,  and  danced  as  above  men¬ 
tioned  (which  appeared  only  designed  to  show  us 
her  contempt  of  death,  and  to  prove  to  us  that  her 
dying  was  voluntary),  she  then  lay  down  by  the 
corpse  and  put  one  arm  under  its  neck,  and  the  other 
over  it,  when  a  quantity  of  dry  cocoa  leaves  and  other 
substances  were  heaped  over  them  to  a  considerable 
height ;  and  then  ghee,  or  melted  preserved  butter, 
was  poured  on  the  top.  Two  bamboos  were  then  put 
over  them  and  held  fast  down,  and  fire  was  put  to  the 
pile,  which  immediately  blazed  very  fiercely,  owing 
to  the  dry  and  combustible  materials  of  which  it  was 
composed.  No  sooner  was  the  fire  kindled  than  all 
the  people  set  up  a  great  shout,  ‘  Hurree  Bol,  Hurree 
Boll’  which  is  a  common  shout  of  joy,  and  an 
invocation  of  Hurree,  the  wife  of  Hur  or  Seeb.  It 
was  impossible  to  have  heard  the  woman,  had  she 
groaned,  or  even  cried  aloud,  on  account  of  the  mad 
noise  of  the  people  ;  and  it  was  impossible  for  her  to 
struggle,  on  account  of  the  bamboos,  which  are  held 
down  upon  them  like  the  levers  of  a  press.  We 
made  much  objection  to  their  using  these  bamboos, 
and  insisted  that  it  was  using  force  to  prevent  the 
woman  getting  up  when  the  fire  burnt  her.  But  they 
declared  it  was  only  done  to  keep  the  pile  from 
falling  down.  We  could  not  bear  to  see  more,  but  left 
them,  exclaiming  loudly  against  the  murder,  and  full 
of  horror  at  what  we  had  seen.” 

To  induce  the  Government  to  prohibit  so  wicked 


126 


WILLIAM  CAREY. 


and  cruel  a  rite,  Carey  and  his  fellow  missionaries 
spared  no  labour.  The  first  step  was  to  enlighten  the 
minds  of  the  people  of  England  upon  the  subject. 
Representations,  descriptive  of  the  custom,  were  sent 
home  to  the  Society  for  general  circulation.  Statistics 
were  carefully  obtained  by  agents  who  were  employed 
to  watch  and  report  every  instance  of  suttee  taking 
place  within  a  radius  of  thirty  miles  round  Calcutta. 
By  these  means  it  was  ascertained  that  more  than 
four  hundred  cases  occurred  in  a  year.  Further  and 
more  searching  investigation  was  made,  with  the 
result  of  largely  increasing  the  number. 

Whilst  these  inquiries  were  proceeding,  Carey,  with 
the  help  of  his  learned  pundits,  diligently  examined  the 
Hindoo  writings  for  the  purpose  of  collating  the  vari¬ 
ous  passages  bearing  upon  the  custom.  These  statistics 
and  references  were  then  intrusted  to  Mr.  Udney,  to 
enable  him  to  bring  the  subject  before  the  Council. 
The  recent  enactment  prohibiting  the  sacrifice  of 
children  was  quoted  as  a  precedent  for  further  reform 
in  the  same  direction.  Unfortunately  Lord  Wellesley 
was  about  leaving  India,  or  probably,  had  his  adminis¬ 
tration  continued,  the  abomination  would  have  been 
brought  to  a  speedy  end.  As  it  was,  no  less  than 
twenty-four  years  had  to  come  and  go  before  the 
horrible  superstition  was  made  to  cease.  To  Lord 
William  Bentinck,  one  of  the  wisest  and  most 
benevolent  of  Indian  Governors,  belongs  the  dis¬ 
tinguished  honour  of  abolishing  suttee.  He  entered 
upon  his  rule  with  the  solemn  determination  to  put 
an  end  to  the  cursed  rite  ;  and  forthwith  a  proclama¬ 
tion  was  sent  throughout  the  length  and  breadth  of 
the  Company’s  territories  in  these  terms :  “  The 
practice  of  Suttee,  or  of  burning  or  burying  alive  the 
widows  of  Hindoos,  is  hereby  declared  illegal,  and 


CAREY  AS  A  PHILANTHROPIST.  127 

punishable  by  the  criminal  courts.”  Then  followed 
several  minor  regulations. 

To  prevent  any  misapprehension  of  the  purport  of 
the  proclamation,  it  was  thought  well  to  publish  it  in 
both  English  and  Bengalee.  The  Governor-General’s 
secretary  was  at  once  despatched  to  Carey,  requiring 
him  to  translate  the  notification  into  the  vernacular. 
It  was  Saturday  afternoon.  The  secretary  found  Carey 
preparing  for  the  Sunday  services.  The  preparation 
was  instantly  put  aside.  There  could  be  no  delay  ;  for 
delay  meant  more  sacrifice  of  human  life.  He  felt  his 
place  to  be  at  the  desk  rather  than  in  the  pulpit.  And 
by  assiduous  application,  before  the  Sabbath  closed, 
the  proclamation  was  duly  translated  and  ready  for 
circulation.  With  what  intense  gratification  must  the 
noble-hearted  man  have  transcribed  the  regulations 
intended  to  abolish  at  last  a  cruel  superstition,  the 
thought  of  which  for  so  many  years  had  harrowed  his 
soul,  and  which  his  own  efforts,  more  than  those  of 
any  other,  had  now  helped  to  bring  to  an  end. 

The  Benevolent  Institution  for  Instructing  the 
Children  of  Indigent  Parents  originated  in  the  philan¬ 
thropic  sympathies  of  Carey  and  his  two  colleagues, 
Marshman  and  Ward.  The  tender  hearts  of  the 
missionaries  had  been  deeply  moved  as  they  contem¬ 
plated  the  sad  and  neglected  condition  of  the  seven 
thousand  families  of  the  Portuguese,  exclusive  of 
Armenians,  Greeks,  &c.,  living  in  Calcutta.  For  the 
benefit  of  this  Eurasian  population,  literally  the  poor 
of  the  city,  poorer  than  either  Hindoos  or  Mussulmans, 
a  free  school  had  been  in  existence  for  many  years, 
but  the  charity  had  been  mismanaged,  and  the  funds 
left  for  its  support  had  been  abused.  Some  decided 
reform  had  been  effected,  but  the  school  was  most 
inadequate  to  the  needs  of  those  for  whom  it  had 


123 


WILLIAM  CAREY. 


been  founded.  And  moreover,  it  gave  instruction 
only  to  those  whom  it  received  as  boarders.  Carey 
and  his  coadjutors  desired  an  institution  which 
should  be  free  to  all  who  might  come  for  daily 
teaching.  And  in  May,  1 8 1 1,  we  find  him  writing  to 
Dr.  Ryland  in  the  following  strain  :  “  A  year  ago  we 
opened  a  free  school  in  Calcutta.  This  year  we  added 
to  it  a  school  for  girls.  There  are  now  in  it  about 
140  boys,  and  near  30  girls.  One  of  our  deacons, 
Mr.  Leonard,  a  most  valuable  and  active  man,  super¬ 
intends  the  boys,  and  a  very  pious  woman,  a  member 
of  our  church,  is  over  the  girls.  The  instruction 
meets  with  considerable  encouragement,  and  is  con¬ 
ducted  upon  Lancaster’s  plan.” 

One  or  two  extracts  from  the  first  Report  sent  to 
this  country  will  be  read  with  interest : — “  In  this  city 
there  are  numbers  of  persons  bearing  the  Christian 
name,  some  of  them  the  remote  descendants  of 
Hindoos  and  Mussulmans,  who,  occupying  the  lowest 
walks  of  life,  have  been  by  their  poverty  precluded 
the  advantages  of  Christian  education,  and  have 
never  been  favoured  with  Christian  instruction  in  a 
language  they  could  understand.  .  .  .  The  effect  of 
their  being  thus  debarred  from  all  instruction  of  a 
moral  nature  appears  but  too  plainly  in  their  growing 
up  in  the  practice  of  every  vice  to  which  their  abject 
state  exposes  them.  .  .  .  The  plan  of  instruction 
matured  by  Mr.  Lancaster,  and  so  highly  patronised 
at  home  by  the  nobility  and  gentry,  and  even  by  the 
Royal  Family,  is  well  adapted  to  meet  the  circum¬ 
stances  of  these  numerous  and  wretched  victims  to 
ignorance  and  vice.  Its  simplicity  is  admirably 
suited  to  convey  instruction  to  the  untutored  mind, 
and  that  happy  method  which  enables  Lancaster 
himself  to  instruct  above  a  thousand  poor  children  in 


CAREY  AS  A  PHILANTHROPIST. 


129 


London,  at  an  expense  which  would  scarcely  board 
fifty,  is  exactly  fitted  to  extend  the  same  benefit  to 
the  multitudes  of  children  here,  who  are  in  a  sphere 
of  life  still  lower.  It  is  upon  this  plan,  with  such 
variations  as  circumstances  require,  that  the  Benevo¬ 
lent  Institution  is  conducted.  The  children  admitted 
are  taught  to  read  the  Scriptures  in  English,  and 
instructed  in  writing  and  arithmetic.  In  addition  to 
this,  they  are  instructed  in  Bengalee,  writing,  and 
accounts,  and  taught  to  read  the  Scriptures  in  that 
language ;  in  which  indeed,  as  it  is  nearly  vernacular 
to  them,  they  understand  them  more  readily  than 
they  do  in  English.  .  .  .  The  description  of  our 
pupils  is  truly  novel,  as  it  regards  variety  of  colour, 
country,  and  religion.  They  consist  of  Europeans’ 
children,  native  Portuguese,  Armenians,  Hindoos, 
Mussulmans,  natives  of  Sumatra,  Mozambique,  and 
Abyssinia.  The  history  of  some  of  them  involves 
circumstances  somewhat  interesting ;  that  of  one  of 
them  I  will  relate.  Thomas  Chance ,  a  lad  of  about 
twelve  years  old,  after  being  some  little  time  in  the 
school,  was  placed  with  me  as  a  boarder,  by  his 
generous  benefactor,  Captain  W.,  who,  in  one  of  his 
late  trading  voyages,  had  occasion  to  touch  on  the 
coast  of  Sumatra,  in  a  part  inhabited  by  the  Battas, 
where,  among  other  things,  he  one  day  observed  three 
boys  confined  in  a  kind  of  wooden  cage,  cooped  up 
like  hogs  ;  and  upon  inquiring  into  their  circumstances 
found  they  were  fattening  for  the  knife ,  and  were  for 
sale.  Captain  W.  instantly  bargained  for  them,  and 
for  one  hundred  and  fifty  dollars  had  the  high  grati¬ 
fication  of  carrying  them  safely  to  his  ship.  Whether 
the  other  two  died  or  not,  I  cannot  say  ;  but  Captain 
W.  wishing  to  train  up  this  boy  to  useful  life,  brought 
him  to  our  school” 


I 


130 


WILLIAM  CAREY. 


The  effort,  however,  to  maintain  this  Institution 
was  attended  with  much  difficulty,  and  in  the  year 
1826  Carey  felt  himself  justified  in  making  an  appeal 
for  Government  help,  which  met  with  a  favourable  and 
generous  response.  The  debt  which  had  accumulated 
was  removed,  a  sum  for  repairs  was  voted,  and  an 
annual  subsidy  was  granted  of  ^240. 

It  may  be  added  that  the  Institution  survived  its 
founders  and  continues  to  the  present  day. 

But  the  Benevolent  Institution  for  the  instruction 
of  Eurasian  children  was  not  the  extent  of  Carey’s 
philanthropic  efforts  on  behalf  of  the  children  of  India. 
Wherever  mission  stations  were  founded,  schools  for 
natives  were  opened.  In  the  year  1817  we  find  no 
less  than  forty-five  such  schools  established  in  the 
districts  about  Calcutta,  which  number  was  hereafter 
greatly  increased.  And  though  now  at  the  present 
time  Government  schools  widely  prevail,  there  are  still 
many  parts  of  India  where,  if  it  were  not  for  Christian 
missions,  no  instruction  whatever  would  be  imparted. 

In  addition  to  these  memorials  of  Christian  philan¬ 
thropy  may  be  mentioned  the  establishment  of  a  Leper 
Hospital.  The  cruelties  to  which  the  victims  of  leprosy 
were  commonly  subjected  so  wrought  upon  Carey’s 
heart,  that  he  could  not  rest  until  a  home  had  been 
provided  in  which  at  least  some  of  the  poor  afflicted 
creatures  might  receive  suitable  medical  treatment. 

Reference  should  not  be  omitted  here  to  the  publi¬ 
cation  of  the  first  vernacular  newspaper.  This  was 
issued  by  the  Serampore  press  in  1818,  under  the  title* 
of  The  News  Mirror ,  shortly  afterwards  altered  to 
that  of  The  Friend  of  India.  Its  editorship  was 
intrusted  to  Marshman.  In  The  Friend  of  India  the 
cause  of  humanity  and  religion  was  henceforward  to 
find  a  most  important  and  influential  ally. 


CHAPTER  XI. 

CAREY  AS  A'  NATURALIST. 

THE  ribald  epithets,  “consecrated  cobblers,”  “tub 
preachers,”  “  apostates  from  the  loom  and  anvil,” 
with  which  a  certain  clerical  reviewer  more 
especially  lampooned  the  missionaries,  were  as 
unworthy  as  they  were  ungentlemanly  and  unchristian. 
Apart  from  his  eminent  piety,  his  spiritual  gifts,  and 
his  remarkable  linguistic  abilities,  the  knowledge 
Carey  possessed  in  not  a  few  branches  of  natural 
history  was  so  considerable  and  so  scientific,  that,  in 
itself,  it  was  more  than  sufficient  to  deserve  respect ; 
indeed,  had  Carey  gone  to  India  simply  to  follow  the 
pursuits  of  a  naturalist  and  not  as  a  missionary  of 
Jesus  Christ,  in  all  probability  the  very  men  who 
sneered  would  have  been  the  first  to  extol. 

Very  soon  after  his  arrival  in  the  country,  the  same 
propensities  which,  as  a  boy,  led  him  to  search  the 
fields  and  woods  around  his  home  at  Paulerspury  and 
to  convert  his  own  little  room  into  a  museum  for  his 
various  specimens,  constrained  him  carefully  to  observe 
the  strange  animal  life  and  vegetable  varieties  of  a 
foreign  land. 


132 


WILLIAM  CAREY. 


As  early  as  March,  1795,  when  he  had  resided  in 
India  but  a  little  more  than  a  year,  we  meet  with 
these  sentences  in  one  of  his  letters :  “  The  natural 
history  of  Bengal  would  furnish  innumerable  novelties 
to  a  curious  inquirer.  I  am  making  collections  and 
minute  descriptions  of  whatever  I  can  obtain  [he  kept 
distinct  books  for  birds,  beasts,  fishes,  reptiles,  &c.,  in 
which  he  entered  his  observations],  and  intend  at 
some  future  time  to  transmit  them  to  Europe.  Birds 
are  very  numerous  ;  many,  I  believe,  have  never  been 
described  by  any  authors.  I  think  there  are  almost 
as  many  species  in  this  country  which  have  been 
hitherto  undescribed  as  I  have  ever  seen  descriptions 
of  in  the  world.  The  beasts  here  have  in  general  not 
been  unnoticed,  but  I  have  seen  some  of  which  I  have 
never  read.”  In  a  later  communication  he  remarks : 
“  I  observed,  in  a  former  letter,  that  the  beasts  have 
been  in  general  described,  but  that  the  undescribed 
birds  were  surprisingly  numerous,  and  in  fact  new 
species  are  still  frequently  coming  under  my  notice. 
We  have  sparrows  and  water-wagtails,  one  species  of 
crow,  ducks,  geese,  and  common  fowls,  pigeons,  teal, 
ortolans,  plovers,  snipes,  like  those  in  Europe  ;  but 
others,  entirely  unlike  European  birds,  would  fill  a 
volume.  Insects  are  very  numerous.  I  have  about 
twelve  sorts  of  grylli  or  grasshoppers  and  crickets. 
Ants  are  the  most  omnivorous  of  all  insects  ;  we  have 
eight  or  ten  sorts  very  numerous.  The  termes  or  white 
ants  destroy  everything  on  which  they  fasten  ;  they 
will  eat  through  an  oak-chest  in  a  day  or  two,  and 
devour  all  its  contents.  Butterflies  are  not  so  numerous 
as  in  England,  but  I  think  are  all  different.  Common 
flies  and  mosquitoes  (or  gnats)  are  abundant,  and  the 
latter  are  so  tormenting  as  to  make  one  conclude  that 
if  the  flies  in  Egypt  were  mosquitoes,  the  plague  must 


CAREY  AS  A  NATURALIST. 


133 


have  been  almost  insupportable.  Here  are  beetles  of 
many  species.  Scorpions  of  two  sorts,  the  sting  of 
the  smallest  not  mortal.  Land  crabs  in  abundance, 
and  an  amazing  number  of  other  kinds  of  insects.” 

Carey’s  acquaintance  with  some  sections  of  the 
science  of  geology,  particularly  with  mineral  ores, 
must  have  been  considerable,  as  we  find  that 
amongst  his  many  honours  he  was  elected  a  fellow 
of  the  Geological  Society. 

But  it  was  in  botany  and  agriculture  that  he  most 
delighted  and  excelled.  His  practical  interest  in 
those  subjects  resulted  in  very  material  benefit  to 
India,  and  lays  that  country  under  a  debt  of  obliga¬ 
tion  which  can  never  be  discharged.  It  will  be 
remembered  that  in  our  sketch  of  Carey’s  boyhood 
we  referred  to  his  early  love  of  flowers,  and  the  delight 
with  which  he  cultivated  his  father’s  garden,  by  the 
help  of  such  instruction  as  he  received  from  his  uncle 
Peter,  the  gardener,  who  lived  in  the  village.  Imme¬ 
diately  upon  his  settlement  at  Mudnabatty,  desiring 
to  utilise  his  practical  knowledge,  he  wrote  to  England, 
requesting  that  scythes,  sickles,  plough  wheels,  and 
other  agricultural  implements  might  be  sent  out  to 
him,  and  also  a  yearly  assortment  of  all  garden  and 
flower  seeds,  and  seeds  of  fruit-trees,  at  the  same 
time  giving  minute  instructions  as  to  the  way  in 
which  they  should  be  packed.  “  Apply,”  he  said,  “  to 
London  seedsmen  and  others,  as  it  will  be  a  lasting 
advantage  to  this  country,  and  I  shall  have  it  in  my 
power  to  do  this  for  what  I  now  call  my  own  country.” 

But  it  was  on  removing  to  Serampore  that  his 
botanical  tastes  and  purposes  found  full  scope. 
Attached  to  the  mission  home  was  a  large  piece  ot 
land  which  under  Carey’s  cultivation  reached  such  a 
state  of  excellence  and  importance  as  to  compare 


‘34 


WILLIAM  CAREY. 


favourably  with  the  Company’s  botanical  garden  in 
Calcutta;  indeed  his  son,  Jonathan,  affirms  that  it 
contained  the  best  and  rarest  botanical  collection  of 
plants  in  the  East  Fruits  and  vegetables  which  he 
found  in  the  country  he  brought  to  a  more  perfect 
condition  ;  whilst  other  varieties  he  introduced,  and 
that  with  remarkable  and  permanent  success.  He 
was  justly  proud  of  the  cabbages  he  grew,  declaring 
them  equal  to  any  that  were  offered  for  sale  in  Covent 
Garden.  Requesting  from  home  a  parcel  of  garden 
roots  and  seeds,  he  expressed  a  particular  desire  that 
some  field  cowslips  and  daisies  should  be  included. 
It  does  not  appear  that  this  wish  was  fulfilled,  possibly 
through  oversight ;  for  years  afterwards  a  Sheffield 
botanist  sent  him  a  bag  of  British  seeds.  Carey, 
anxious  that  none  of  the  contents  should  be  lost, 
shook  the  bag  over  some  shaded  soil,  and  shortly 
afterwards  to  his  great  joy  he  saw  springing  up  an 
English  daisy.  The  delightful  feelings  with  which  the 
sight  of  that  simple  home  flower  affected  his  heart 
have  been  beautifully  imagined  in  the  following  poem 
composed  by  the  missionary  poet,  James  Mont¬ 
gomery  : — 

THE  DAISY  IN  INDIA. 

Thrice  welcome,  little  English  flower  ! 

My  mother-country’s  white  and  red, 

In  rose  or  lily,  till  this  hour, 

Never  to  me  such  beauty  spread  ; 

Transplanted  from  thine  island  bed, 

A  treasure  in  a  grain  of  earth, 

Strange  as  a  spirit  from  the  dead, 

Thine  embryo  sprang  to  earth. 

Thrice  welcome,  little  English  flower  ! 

Whose  tribes,  beneath  our  natal  skies, 

Shut  close  their  leaves  while  vapours  lower ; 

But,  when  the  sun’s  gay  beams  arise, 


CAREY  AS  A  NATURALIST. 


135 


With  unabased  but  modest  eyes, 

Follow  his  motion  to  the  West, 

Nor  cease  to  gaze  till  daylight  dies, 

Then  fold  themselves  to  rest. 

Thrice  welcome,  little  English  flower  ! 

To  this  resplendent  hemisphere, 

Where  Flora’s  giant  offspring  tower, 

In  gorgeous  liveries  all  the  year  ; 

Thou,  only  thou,  art  little  here, 

Like  worth  unfriended  and  unknown, 

Yet  to  my  British  heart  more  dear 
Than  all  the  torrid  zone. 

Thrice  welcome,  little  English  flower ! 

I  ’ll  rear  thee  with  a  trembling  hand. 

Oh  for  the  April  sun  and  shower, 

The  sweet  May  dews,  of  that  fair  land, 

Where  daisies,  thick  as  starlight,  stand 
In  every  walk  ! — that  here  may  shoot 
Thy  scions,  and  thy  buds  expand, 

A  hundred  from  one  root. 

Thrice  welcome,  little  English  flower  . 

To  me  the  pledge  of  hope  unseen  ; 

When  sorrow  would  my  soul  o’erpower, 

For  joys  that  were,  or  might  have  been, 

I  ’ll  call  to  mind,  how,  fresh  and  green, 

I  saw  thee  waking  from  the  dust ; 

Then  turn  to  heaven  with  brow  serene, 

And  place  in  God  my  trust. 

Carey’s  garden  was  indeed  his  dear  delight.  “  Na 
one,”  says  his  son,  “  was  allowed  to  interfere  in  the 
arrangements  of  this  his  favourite  retreat ;  and  it  is 
here  he  enjoyed  his  most  pleasant  moments  of  secret 
devotion  and  meditation.  The  arrangements  made 
by  him  were  on  the  Linnsean  system  ;  and  to  disturb 
the  bed  or  border  of  the  garden  was  to  touch  the  apple 
of  his  eye.”  Another  testifies  that  “  so  tender  was  his 
sympathy  with  and  fondness  for  plants  that  he  would 
never  pluck  a  flower.”  The  umbrageous  avenue  he 


WILLIAM  CAREY, 


136 

planted  is  still  known  as  Carey’s  Walk.  He  trained 
his  own  gardeners,  and  taught  them  the  botanical 
names  of  all  the  plants  and  trees.  The  accompanying 
picture  represents  one  of  these  gardeners,  who  five 
years  ago  was  living  and  may  be  living  still.  He 
entered  Carey’s  employ  as  a  boy ;  and  in  his  old 


DR.  CAREY’S  MALI  OR  GARDENER. 


age  could  give  the  botanical  name  of  nearly  every 
plant  or  flower,  a  list  being  taken  from  his  lips  of  over 
250  plants  grown  in  the  garden. 

The  high  authority  in  which  Carey  was  held  is  seen 
from  the  simple  fact  that  when  Dr.  Roxburgh,  the 
Government  Botanist,  was  laid  aside  through  failing 


CAREY  AS  A  NATURALIST. 


137 


health,  he  undertook  to  edit  and  print  the  Hortus 
Bengalensis ,  or  a  catalogue  of  the  plants  of  the 
Honourable  East  India  Company's  Botanic  Garden 
in  Calcutta.  And  when  Dr.  Roxburgh  died,  he 
published  that  botanist’s  Flora  Indica ,  which  became, 
and  still  is,  a  standard  work. 

f 

In  the  year  1811,  he  wrote  a  paper  on  Agriculture, 
and  more  especially  on  the  cultivation  of  timber,  a 
matter  which  had  received  no  attention,  the  paper 
appearing  eventually  in  a  volume  of  the  Asiatic 
Researches.  Ten  years  later  we  meet  with  the 
following,  in  the  Missionary  Herald  of  1821  : — “  I  bless 
God,  I  am  as  healthy  as  I  ever  remember  to  have 
been.  I  have  for  some  time  back  had  much  at  heart 
the  formation  of  an  Agricultural  Society  in  India. 
Some  months  ago  I  had  a  conversation  with  Lord 
Hastings  on  the  subject,  who  encouraged  me  to  make 
an  attempt ;  in  consequence  of  which  I  published  a 
prospectus,  and  circulated  it  throughout  India.  The 
result  is  that,  on  the  14th  of  September,  an  Agri¬ 
cultural  and  Horticultural  Society  was  formed,  which 
consists  already  of  about  fifty  members.  By  desire  of 
the  Society,  I  wrote  to  Lord  Hastings,  requesting  him 
to  become  its  patron,  to  which  he  acceded.  Several  of 
the  most  opulent  natives  have  joined  it ;  and  I  hope 
it  will  ultimately  be  of  great  benefit  to  the  country, 
and  contribute  to  prepare  its  inhabitants  for  the  time 
when  they  shall  beat  their  swords  into  ploughshares, 
and  their  spears  into  pruning  hooks.” 

Andrew  Fuller  tells  us  that  the  Baptist  Missionary 
Society  had  its  origin  in  the  working  of  Brother 
Carey’s  mind  ;  and  from  that  prolific  mind  certainly 
came  the  Agricultural  and  Horticultural  Society  of 
India.  And  just  as  the  former  and  far  more  important 
enterprise  was  indeed  feeble  and  obscure  in  its  begin- 


133 


WILLIAM  CAREY. 


rung,  such  was  the  case,  if  we  may  compare  smaller 
things  with  greater,  with  the  Scientific  Society.  For 
the  meeting  that  was  convened  after  Carey  issued 
his  prospectus — which  prospectus  occupies  nearly  six 
closely  printed  pages  in  the  seventh  volume  of  the 
“  Periodical  Accounts,”  and  for  learning  and  insight 
more  than  deserves  to  be  reproduced  here  verbatim 
— did  not  consist  of  more  than  three  Europeans 
besides  Dr.  Marshman  and  himself.  But,  nothing 
daunted,  Carey  started  the  Society.  It  flourished 
rapidly,  and  as  already  intimated  Lord  Hastings  was 
secured  as  its  first  patron.  It  exists  to-day  with 
a  large  membership,  enjoying  the  advantage  of  a 
considerable  annual  grant  from  Government ;  and 
has  also  succeeded  in  establishing  three  other  similar 
societies  in  India.  According  to  Dr.  George  Smith, 
it  formed  the  model  of  the  Royal  Agricultural  Society 
of  England. 


CHAPTER  XII. 

CAREY  AND  SERAMPORE  COLLEGE. 

r  I  API E  natural  and  supremely  important  part  which 
a  native  ministry  would  be  certain  to  perform 
-A.  in  the  evangelisation  of  India  very  early 
engaged  the  earnest  thought  of  Carey  and  his 
fellow  missionaries.  As  sober-minded  and  practical 
men,  by  no  means  the  visionary  fanatics  some  imagined 
them  to  be,  they  saw  clearly  enough  that  to  whatever 
extent  their  feeble  numbers  might  be  strengthened 
by  European  reinforcements,  the  millions  of  the 
heathen  would  never  become  enlightened,  unless  it 
were  by  the  efforts  of  an  indigenous  Christian  agency. 
The  immense  advantages  of  such  an  agency,  arising 
out  of  considerations  of  language,  climate,  knowledge 
of  fellow-countrymen,  &c.,  were  obvious  and  un¬ 
questionable  ;  and  therefore  no  opportunity  was  lost 
to  create  and  promote  it.  Hence  we  find  Krishnu 
Pal,  the  first  Plindoo  convert,  encouraged  to  instruct 
inquirers,  and  to  devote  himself  as  an  itinerant  in 
evangelistic  journeys. 

In  the  natural  course  of  things,  as  missionary 

139 


140 


WILLIAM  CAREY. 


operations  extended,  as  new  stations,  schools  and 
churches  were  formed,  and  the  number  of  the  converts 
multiplied,  the  time  arrived  when  it  was  felt  to  be 
absolutely  necessary  to  provide  an  institution  in  which 
native  Christians  desiring  to  devote  themselves  to 
evangelistic  and  pastoral  work,  and  having  gifts  and 
graces  for  such  service,  might  be  suitably  trained. 
Consequently,  in  1817,  the  idea  of  a  missionary  training 
institution,  which  for  years  had  been  under  considera¬ 
tion,  was  so  greatly  developed  that  Carey  wrote  thus 
to  Ryland  : — 

“  We  have  bought  a  piece  of  ground  adjoining  the 
mission  premises,  on  which  there  is  an  old  house,  and 
which,  for  the  present  may  be  sufficient  for  the  in¬ 
struction  of  those  whom  God  may  give  unto  us.  But 
we  should  be  glad  to  see,  before  our  removal  by  death, 
a  better  house  erected.  I  conceive  that  the  work  of 
duly  preparing  as  large  a  body  as  possible  of  Christian 
natives  of  India  for  the  work  of  Christian  pastors 
and  itinerants  is  of  immense  importance.  English 
missionaries  will  never  be  able  to  instruct  the  whole 
of  India.  The  pecuniary  resources  and  the  number 
of  missionaries  required  for  the  Christian  instruction 
of  the  millions  of  Hindoostan  can  never  be  supplied 
from  England,  and  India  will  never  be  turned  from 
her  grossness  of  idolatry  to  serve  the  true  and  living 
God,  unless  the  grace  of  God  rest  abundantly  on 
converted  natives  to  qualify  them  for  mission  work, 
and  unless  by  the  instrumentality  of  those  who  care 
for  India  they  be  sent  forth  to  the  field.  In  my 
judgment,  therefore,  it  is  on  Native  Evangelists  that 
the  weight  of  the  great  work  must  ultimately  rest.” 

In  the  following  year  a  prospectus  of  a  College 
was  issued,  setting  forth  the  objects  contemplated. 
It  was  proposed  thoroughly  to  instruct  the  students 


CAREY  AND  SERAMRORE  COLLEGE.  I4I 

both  in  the  doctrines  they  were  to  combat,  and  the 
doctrines  they  were  to  teach  ;  much  stress  being  laid 
upon  the  desirability  of  acquiring  a  knowledge  of 
Sanscrit,  without  which  knowledge  it  was  felt  the 
Christian  teacher,  especially  in  dealing  with  learned 
natives,  would  be  placed  at  great  disadvantage.  It 
was  firmly  believed  that  if  ever  the  Gospel  was  to 
prevail  in  India  it  would  only  be  as  native  was 
opposed  to  native  in  demonstrating  its  excellence 
above  all  other  systems.  But  whilst  supreme  import¬ 
ance  was  attached  to  the  acquisition  of  the  vernaculars 
of  the  people  and  the  sacred  classic  language,  instruc¬ 
tion  in  English  was  not  to  be  neglected.  The 
prospectus  stated :  “  Though  it  would  be  vain  to 
attempt  to  enlighten  a  country  through  the  medium 
of  any  language  besides  its  own,  it  does  not  follow 
that  English  could  not  be  studied  as  a  learned 
language  to  great  advantage  by  youths  of  superior 
talent ;  thus  enabling  them  to  dive  into  the  deepest 
recesses  of  European  science  and  enrich  their  own 
language  with  its  choicest  treasures.  But  the  know¬ 
ledge  of  English  was  only  to  be  attempted  after  that 
of  the  Sanscrit  had  been  acquired.  One  prominent 
feature  in  the  proposed  Institution  was  its  unsectarian 
character,  the  rights  of  conscience  being  most  care¬ 
fully  respected.  A  detailed  calculation  was  made  as 
to  the  annual  expense  of  maintenance.  In  appealing 
to  the  public  for  support  Carey  and  his  colleagues 
most  generously  announced  their  intention  to  subscribe 
from  their  personal  resources  the  sum  of  ,£2500. 
And  it  was  proposed  to  invest  the  government  of  the 
College  in  the  Governor  of  Serampore  and  the  three 
senior  missionaries. 

On  this  prospectus  being  drawn  up  it  was  submitted 
to  the  Governor-General,  Lord  Hastings,  who  ex- 


142 


WILLIAM  CAREY. 


pressed  his  most  hearty  approval  and  his  wish  to 
become  the  first  Patron.  The  Danish  Governor, 
Col.  Krefting,  was  also  most  cordial,  and  consented 
to  be  the  first  Governor  of  the  College.  Col.  Krefting 
further  showed  his  interest  in  the  Institution  by  sending 
a  copy  of  the  prospectus  to  the  King  of  Denmark, 
which,  if  His  Majesty  approved,  might  also  be  laid 
before  the  Royal  College  of  Commerce  at  Copenhagen. 

Thus  encouraged,  a  plot  of  land  in  a  most  eligible 
situation,  eventually  enlarged  to  ten  acres,  was  pur¬ 
chased,  and  a  plan  for  the  College  buildings  was 
designed.  The  Grecian  style  of  architecture  was 
thought  to  be  the  most  suitable.  We  are  indebted  to 
Mr.  J.  C.  Marshman  for  the  following  description  : 
“  The  centre  building,  intended  for  the  public  rooms, 
was  a  hundred  and  thirty  feet  in  length  and  a  hundred 
and  twenty  in  depth.  The  hall  on  the  ground  floor, 
supported  on  arches,  and  terminated  at  the  south  by 
a  bow,  was  ninety-five  feet  in  length,  sixty-six  in 
breadth,  and  twenty  in  height.  It  was  originally 
intended  for  the  library,  but  is  now  occupied  by  the 
classes.  The  hall  above,  of  the  same  dimensions  and 
twenty-six  feet  in  height,  was  supported  by  two  rows 
of  Ionic  columns  ;  it  was  intended  for  the  annual 
examinations.  Of  the  twelve  side-rooms  above  and 
below,  eight  were  of  spacious  dimensions,  twenty-seven 
feet  by  thirty-five.  The  portico  which  fronted  the 
river  was  composed  of  six  columns,  more  than  four 
feet  in  diameter  at  the  base.  The  staircase  room  was 
ninety  feet  in  length,  twenty-seven  in  width,  and 
forty-seven  in  height,  with  two  staircases  of  cast  iron,  of 
large  size  and  elegant  form,  prepared  at  Birmingham. 
The  spacious  grounds  were  surrounded  with  iron  rail¬ 
ing,  and  the  front  entrance  was  adorned  with  a  noble 
gate,  likewise  cast  at  Birmingham.” 


SERAMPORE  COLLEGE. 


144 


WILLIAM  CAREY. 


Mr.  Marshman  adds :  “  The  scale  on  which  it  was 
proposed  to  establish  the  college,  and  to  which  the 
size  of  the  building  was  necessarily  accommodated, 
corresponded  with  the  breadth  of  all  the  other  enter¬ 
prises  of  the  Serampore  missionaries — the  Mission,  the 
translations,  and  the  schools.” 

During  the  erection  of  the  College  Buildings, 
Mr.  Ward,  on  account  of  ill  health,  revisited  his  native 
land.  Into  the  unhappy  differences  which  arose 
between  the  Serampore  brethren  and  the  home  Com¬ 
mittee,  it  would  be  tedious  and  unprofitable  to  enter. 
The  sooner  those  differences  are  forgotten  the  better. 
But  should  any  of  our  readers  feel  drawn  to  the 
investigation  of  matters  relating  to  the  Serampore 
controversy,  we  venture  to  express  the  opinion  that 
the  honour  of  Carey’s  noble  character  would  not  in  the 
least  suffer  from  such  an  investigation.  The  differ¬ 
ences,  however,  could  not  but  affect  the  appeal  which 
Mr.  Ward  made  in  person  on  behalf  of  the  college  ; 
nevertheless  many  were  the  friends,  particularly  in 
Scotland,  who  showed  their  practical  sympathy.  Mr. 
Ward  also  visited  America  and  with  good  effect. 
The  appeal  resulted  in  some  ^4000,  which  contribu¬ 
tions — as  the  Serampore  brethren,  with  such  help  as 
they  could  obtain  in  India,  had  undertaken  the  cost 
of  the  buildings — were  to  be  applied  to  the  annual 
support  of  the  Institution. 

We  insert  here  the  appeal  which  was  made  to  friends 
in  this  country,  inasmuch  as  it  shows  the  spirit  of 
Carey  and  his  brethren,  as  well  as  sets  forth  plainly 
the  object  for  which  they  pleaded. 

It  is  superscribed  with  this  striking  heading 
“  Missionary  Funds  and  Lives  saved,  and  under  a 
Divine  blessing,  the  spread  of  Christianity  in  India 
hastened  by  Centuries.” 


CAREY  AND  SERAMPORE  COLLEGE.  145 

“The  population  of  Hindoostan,  it  is  supposed, 
amounts  to  no  less  than  1 50,000,000  of  souls.  Of  these 
more  than  60,000,000  are  British  subjects.  Except 
a  few  heathen,  recently  converted  to  Christianity, 
all  these  are  ‘  lying  in  wickedness  ’  and  destitute  of 
Christian  teachers. 

“  The  care  of  these  sixty  millions  Divine  Providence 
has,  in  a  peculiar  manner,  committed  to  British 
Christians ;  but  what  have  they  hitherto  done  for 
them?  There  does  not  exist  at  present  in  India  one 
Christian  teacher  for  each  million  of  souls,  notwith¬ 
standing  the  command  of  the  Saviour :  ‘  Go  ye  into 
all  the  world  and  preach  the  Gospel  to  every  creature,’ 
— ‘  Go  teach  all  nations.’ 

“  It  is  further  evident  that  British  Christians  never 
can,  by  their  own  individual  exertions,  teach  all  these 
tribes,  speaking  more  than  fifty  different  languages  or 
dialects ;  for  this  would  require,  if  half  the  sixty 
millions  could  be  brought  under  instruction,  not  less 
than  sixty  thousand  missionaries,  giving  five  hundred 
souls  to  each  missionary.  Where  shall  sixty  thousand 
missionaries  be  found  ?  and  if  they  could  be  found, 
from  what  funds  could  they  be  supported  ? 

“  From  hence  it  is  manifest  that,  if  the  heathen  in 
India  should  ever  be  called,  they  must  be  taught  by 
converted  natives,  and  that  upon  the  converted  natives 
themselves  the  great  weight  of  this  immense  cultiva¬ 
tion  must  rest. 

“  Forcibly  impressed  with  this  fact,  Dr.  Carey  and 
his  colleagues  at  Serampore  have  regularly  sent  out 
into  the  field  as  many  of  the  native  converts  as  had 
the  smallest  gifts  to  be  useful ;  and  nearly  fifty  natives 
of  India  are  now  employed  under  them.  They 
acknowledge,  with  concern,  that  these  native  itinerants 
need  better  instruction  in  the  Christian  doctrines,  in 

K 


146 


WILLIAM  CAREY. 


order  to  become  really  efficient  agents  in  this  most 
important  work  ;  some  of  them,  when  converted  from 
a  state  of  gross  error,  idolatry,  and  entire  ignorance 
even  of  the  first  principles  of  revealed  religion,  were 
scarcely  able  to  read. 

“To  meet  their  case,  and  the  case  of  all  others  in 
future  whom  God  may  graciously  call  to  this  work, 
Dr.  Carey  and  his  brethren  have  begun  a  Christian 
Seminary  at  Serampore,  and  placed  it  under  their 
own  inspection,  for  giving  Scriptural  knowledge  and 
correct  doctrinal  views  to  these  native  missionaries ; 
that  they  may  go  out  into  the  work  prepared  like 
Apollos,  by  Aquila  and  Priscilla,  and  ‘  taught  the  way 
of  the  Lord  more  perfectly.’  It  is  not  intended  to 
give,  except  in  rare  instances,  a  learned  education  to 
these  persons,  but  to  give  them  that  knowledge  of  the 
Divine  word,  and  of  the  foundation  principles  of  the 
system  of  redemption,  which  is  absolutely  necessary  to 
a  Christian  teacher,  and  without  which  the  hope  of 
real  good  from  him  is  small  indeed. 

“Mr.  Ward  has  begun  to  solicit  the  aid  of  British 
Christians  ;  a  few  of  them  have  come  forward  with 
great  liberality — the  object  appears  to  all  to  be  of 
vast  importance,  yea,  of  primary  necessity,  if  we 
would  obey  the  command  of  Christ :  ‘  Go,  teach  all 
nations  ;  ’  or  if  we  feel  a  Christian  compassion  for  all 
these  millions  ‘  perishing  for  lack  of  knowledge.’ 

“  It  is  not  intended,  as  at  first  proposed,  that  the 
sums  raised  in  England  and  Scotland  should  be 
applied  to  the  erection  of  buildings,  but  be  formed  by 
the  Society  into  a  fund,  and  placed  by  them  in  the 
hands  of  trustees,  remitting  the  interest  to  Seram¬ 
pore  every  year,  and  that  this  interest  shall  be  applied 
in  giving  Scriptural  preparation,  not  a  learned  educa¬ 
tion,  to  as  many  native  missionaries  as  possible.  Ten 


CAREY  AND  SERAMPORE  COLLEGE.  1 47 

pounds,  or  the  interest  of  only  £200,  would  send  one 
native  missionary  into  the  harvest  every  year ;  and 
^15  a-year  would  maintain  him  perpetually;  and  to 
what  nobler  object  could  a  donation  or  a  legacy  to 
this  amount  be  applied  ?  In  what  way  could  a  person 
appropriate  such  a  sum,  and  receive  from  its  applica¬ 
tion  such  a  high  gratification  ?  Did  a  native  mission¬ 
ary  possess  the  same  knowledge  and  the  same  grace 
as  a  European  one,  he  would  be  worth  ten  of  the 
latter.  In  the  knowledge  of  the  language,  in  access 
to  the  natives,  in  a  capacity  of  enduring  the  heat  of 
the  climate  during  itinerancies,  in  the  expense  of  his 
education  and  support,  and  in  the  probability  of  the 
continuance  of  his  life — there  is  no  comparison.  Still, 
however,  the  English  missionary,  at  present,  is  as 
absolutely  necessary  as  the  native ;  for,  without  the 
instructions  and  superintendence  of  the  English 
teacher,  the  natives  in  their  present  infant  state  would 
be  able  to  accomplish  nothing.  ...  By  all  these 
considerations,  therefore ;  by  the  value  of  all  the  exer¬ 
tions  hitherto  made ;  by  the  importance  of  all  the 
translations  ;  by  the  sufferings  of  all  those  victims  of 
superstition,  destroyed  annually  on  the  funeral  piles, 
in  the  graves  for  the  living,  in  the  rivers,  under  the 
wheels  of  the  car  of  Juggernaut,  and  on  the  roads  to 
the  sacred  places  all  over  India,  and  of  all  those 
children  smothered,  strangled,  or  thrown  into  the 
mouths  of  alligators  by  their  own  mothers ;  yea,  by 
the  cries  of  all  these  millions  perishing  without 
Christ,  and  without  hope,  are  British  Christians  called 
upon  to  assist  in  this,  it  is  conceived,  immensely 
important  undertaking.” 

In  1821,  about  two  years  and  a-half  after  the 
prospectus  had  been  issued,  the  King  of  Denmark 
directed  his  representative  at  Serampore  to  present  a 


148 


WILLIAM  CAREY. 


certain  large  house  in  the  settlement  to  the  mission¬ 
aries,  the  annual  rent  of  which  at  the  time  was  nearly 
.£100.  Thus  nobly  did  His  Majesty  add  to  his  many 
royal  favours,  and  five  years  subsequently  he  granted  a 
charter  of  incorporation,  by  which  instrument  the 
permanency  of  the  College  was  secured  ;  being  placed 
upon  the  same  basis  as  other  Colleges  and  Universities 
in  Europe ;  and,  amongst  other  privileges,  being 
empowered  with  the  right  to  confer  degrees. 

Before  its  completion,  the  cost  of  erecting  this 
noble  edifice  reached  some  £20,000,  of  which  amount 
the  Serampore  brethren  contributed  no  less  a  propor¬ 
tion  than  £15,500,  thus  giving  most  convincing  proof 
of  their  disinterested  devotion. 

It  is  not  expected  that  we  should  narrate  in  these 
pages  the  history  of  the  College,  or  attempt  to  estimate 
its  great  and  far  reaching  usefulness.  Year  after  year, 
under  the  presidency  of  Dr.  Carey,  as  Professor  of 
Divinity,  and  Lecturer  on  Botany,  Zoology,  and  other 
sciences,  together  with  the  co-operation  of  his  brethren, 
the  College  was  able  to  issue  its  Report,  bearing 
testimony  to  invaluable  service  in  the  evangelisa¬ 
tion  of  India. 

In  1832,  Carey  published  his  last  document,  setting 
forth  the  utility  of  the  institution,  and  commending 
it  to  Christian  sympathy.  The  College,  which  Carey 
thus  so  largely  helped  to  originate,  exists  still.  And, 
it  is  believed,  that  as  an  institution  existing  mainly 
and  supremely  for  the  training  of  a  native  ministry, 
it  will  prove,  in  the  altered  educational  and  social 
circumstances  of  India,  increasingly  useful  in  years  to 
come. 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

CONCLUSION. 

FOR  the  long  period  of  forty-one  years  Carey  was 
spared  to  labour  for  the  good  of  India.  He 
out-lived  nearly  all  who  were  associated  with 
him  in  the  establishment  of  the  Mission  : 
Fuller,  Sutcliff,  Pearce,  Fawcett,  Ryland,  amongst 
those  at  home ;  and  Thomas,  Ward,  Chamberlain, 
and  others  who  had  been  his  fellow-labourers  in  the 
work  abroad.  During  this  prolonged  residence  in 
India,  unbroken  by  any  return  to  England,  he  had, 
however,  experienced  at  several  periods  serious 
attacks  of  illness  ;  especially  was  this  the  case  in 
1823,  when  through  an  accident,  followed  by  severe 
fever,  he  was  brought  to  the  brink  of  the  grave. 
From  that  illness  he  never  appears  to  have  fully 
recovered.  But  though  he  was  under  the  necessity  of 
somewhat  restricting  his  manifold  duties,  he  con¬ 
centrated  his  efforts  upon  certain  pursuits  with  that 
diligent  persistency  by  which  he  had  ever  been 
characterised.  His  chief  desire  was  to  complete  the 
last  revision  of  the  Bengalee  version.  And  that 
great  work  he  had  strength  sufficient  to  accomplish. 

149 


WILLIAM  CAREY. 


i5° 

Repeated  attacks  of  fever,  with  other  complications, 
gradually  enfeebled  his  constitution.  In  1831  he 
expected  that  his  race  was  run,  but  the  end  was  not 
yet,  for,  in  the  spring  of  1833,  his  health  had  so  much 
improved,  that  Mr.  Leechman,  who  then  arrived  from 
England  to  assist  him,  was  able  to  describe  his  condi¬ 
tion  and  circumstances  in  the  following  terms  : — “  Our 
venerable  Dr.  Carey  is  in  excellent  health,  and  takes 
his  turn  in  all  our  public  exercises.  Just  forty  years 
ago,  the  first  of  this  month,  he  administered  the  Lord’s 
Supper  to  the  church  at  Leicester,  and  started  on  the 
morrow  to  embark  for  India.  Through  this  long 
period  of  honourable  toil,  the  Lord  has  mercifully  pre¬ 
served  him ;  and  at  our  missionary  prayer-meeting,  held 
on  the  first  of  this  month,  he  delivered  an  interesting 
address  to  encourage  us  to  persevere  in  the  work  of 
the  Lord.  .  .  .  We  have  also  a  private  monthly  prayer¬ 
meeting  held  in  Dr.  Carey’s  study,  which  is  to  me  a 
meeting  of  uncommon  interest.  On  these  occasions 
we  particularly  spread  before  the  Lord  our  public  and 
private  trials,  both  those  which  come  upon  us  from 
the  cause  of  Christ,  with  which  it  is  our  honour  and 
privilege  to  be  connected,  and  those  also  which  we  as 
individuals  are  called  to  bear.  At  our  last  meeting, 
Dr.  Carey  read  part  of  the  history  of  Gideon,  and 
commented  with  deep  feeling  on  the  encouragement 
which  that  history  affords,  that  the  cause  of  God  can 
be  carried  on  to  victory  and  triumph  by  feeble  and 
apparently  inefficient  means.  On  these  occasions, 
as  we  are  quite  alone,  we  give  full  expression  to 
the  joys  and  sorrows,  the  hopes  and  fears,  that 
agitate  our  spirits.  Our  friends  at  home  are  not 
forgotten  on  these  occasions.  Oh  that  our  united 
prayers  may  be  heard  that  Christ’s  kingdom  may 
come.” 


CONCLUSION. 


151 

With  a  view  to  lengthen  his  invaluable  life,  his 
friends  strongly  urged  him  to  relax  his  labours,  but 
with  his  inveterate  repugnance  to  inactivity  he  would 
sit  and  work  at  his  desk  when  his  physical  strength 
was  altogether  unequal  to  his  mental  energy.  But 
that  necessity  which  is  inexorable  compelled  him  at 
last  to  take  almost  entirely  to  his  couch  ;  yet  even 
when  thus  prostrated  he  would  have  proof  sheets 
brought  to  him  for  revision. 

In  the  autumn  he  was  able  to  write  to  his  sisters 
the  following  letter,  indicating,  a&  it  does  most  beauti¬ 
fully,  the  tranquil  state  of  his  mind  : — 

“  My  being  able  to  write  to  you  now  is  quite 
unexpected  by  me,  and,  I  believe,  by  everyone  else ; 
but  it  appears  to  be  the  will  of  God  that  I  should 
continue  a  little  time  longer.  How  long  that  may  be 
I  leave  entirely  with  Him,  and  can  only  say,  ‘All  the 
days  of  my  appointed  time  will  I  wait  till  my  change 
come.’  I  was,  two  months  or  more  ago,  reduced  to 
such  a  state  of  weakness  that  it  appeared  as  if  my 
mind  was  extinguished  ;  and  my  weakness  of  body 
and  sense  of  extreme  fatigue  and  exhaustion  were 
such  that  I  could  scarcely  speak,  and  it  appeared  that 
death  would  be  no  more  felt  than  the  removing  from 
one  chair  to  another.  I  am  now  able  to  sit  and  to  lie 
on  my  couch,  and  now  and  then  to  read  a  proof  sheet 
of  the  Scriptures.  I  am  too  weak  to  walk  more  than 
just  across  the  house,  nor  can  I  stand  even  a  few 
minutes  without  support.  I  have  every  comfort  that 
kind  friends  can  yield,  and  feel,  generally,  a  tranquil 
mind.  I  trust  the  great  point  is  settled,  and  I  am 
ready  to  depart ;  but  the  time  when,  I  leave  with 
God.” 

His  interest  in  his  garden  remained  to  the  last.  As 
long  as  his  strength  permitted  he  would  be  drawn  in 


152 


WILLIAM  CAREY. 


a  chair  to  visit  his  beloved  resort.  And  when  that 
enjoyment  was  no  longer  possible  his  head  gardener 
was  regularly  summoned  into  his  room  to  receive 
instructions.  On  one  occasion,  in  a  moment  of 
depressed  feeling,  he  exclaimed,  “  When  I  am  gone, 
brother  Marshman  will  turn  the  cows  into  the  garden.” 
“  Far  be  it  from  me,”  instantly  replied  Marshman, 
“though  I  have  not  your  botanical  tastes  I  shall 
consider  the  preservation  of  the  garden  in  which  you 
have  taken  so  much  delight  as  a  sacred  duty !  ” 

During  his  last  days  he  was  visited  by  many 
friends.  Lady  William  Bentinck  was  most  assiduous 
and  kind  in  her  attentions  ;  Dr.  Wilson,  the  Bishop  of 
Calcutta,  was  encouraged  and  inspired  by  the  inter¬ 
views  he  requested,  and  earnestly  craved  the  venerable 
missionary’s  blessing ;  Mr.  Duff,  the  young  Scotch 
missionary,  hereafter  to  take  so  important  a  part  in 
the  educational  and  religious  progress  of  India,  was 
amongst  those  who  sought  his  presence.  An  incident 
which  occurred  during  one  of  Mr.  Duffs  visits  is  most 
affectingly  narrated  by  Dr.  Culross  in  his  “  Men  Worth 
Remembering.”  “  On  one  of  the  last  occasions  on 
which  he  saw  him — if  not  the  very  last — he  spent 
some  time  talking  chiefly  about  Carey’s  missionary 
life,  till  at  length  the  dying  man  whispered,  ‘  Pray' 
Duff  knelt  down  and  prayed,  and  then  said  Good-bye. 
As  he  passed  from  the  room,  he  thought  he  heard  a 
feeble  voice  pronouncing  his  name,  and,  turning,  he 
found  that  he  was  recalled.  He  stepped  back 
accordingly  and  this  is  what  he  heard,  spoken  with  a 
gracious  solemnity  :  ‘  Mr.  Duff,  you  have  been  speak¬ 
ing  about  Dr.  Carey,  Dr.  Carey  ;  when  I  am  gone,  say 
nothing  about  Dr.  Carey — speak  about  Dr.  Carey’s 
Saviour .’  Duff  went  away  rebuked  and  awed,  with  a 
lesson  in  his  heart  that  he  never  forgot.” 


CONCLUSION. 


i  S3 

With  Marshman  and  Mack  and  other  of  his  fellow 
missionaries  he  held  most  delightful  converse.  Two 
days  before  his  death,  Mr.  Mack  wrote  thus  to 
Mr.  Christopher  Anderson  of  Edinburgh  : — 

“  Respecting  the  great  change  before  him,  a  single 
shade  of  anxiety  has  not  crossed  his  mind  ever  since 
the  beginning  of  his  decay,  so  far  as  I  am  aware. 
His  Christian  experience  partakes  of  that  guileless 
integrity  which  has  been  the  grand  characteristic  of 
his  whole  life.  Often,  when  he  was  yet  able  to 
converse,  has  he  said  to  his  friends, — ‘  I  am  sure  that 
Christ  will  save  all  that  come  unto  Him  ;  and  if 
I  know  anything  of  myself,  I  think  I  know  that 
I  have  come  to  Him/  The  ascertaining  of  that  all- 
important  fact  had  been  his  object  in  much  honest 
self-examination,  and  the  result  was  the  peaceful 
assurance  that  his  hopes  were  well-grounded.  Having 
pursued  the  inquiry  to  this  result,  when  in  the 
prospect  of  death,  he  seems  to  have  been  enabled 
to  dismiss  all  further  anxiety  on  the  subject  from 
his  mind,  and  to  have  committed  all  that  concerned 
his  life  and  death  to  the  gracious  care  of  God  in 
perfect  resignation  to  His  will.  We  wonder  much 
that  he  is  yet  alive,  and  should  not  be  surprised  were 
he  taken  off  in  an  hour.  Nor  could  such  an 
occurrence  be  regretted.  It  would  only  be  weakness 
in  us  to  wish  to  retain  him.  He  is  ripe  for  glory,  and 
already  dead  to  all  that  belongs  to  life.” 

On  the  9th  of  June,  1834,  in  the  seventy-third  year 
of  his  age,  his  spirit  passed  away  to  the  Saviour, 
whom,  with  such  humble  dependence,  he  so  entirely 
trusted,  and  whom  he  had  been  enabled  so  long  and 
so  devotedly  to  serve.  With  every  expression  of 
profound  esteem  and  sincere  sorrow  from  representa¬ 
tives  of  the  British  Government,  and  of  the  Danish 


154 


WILLIAM  CAREY. 


Government,  of  sister  Societies,  as  well  as  of  the 
Serampore  missionaries  and  the  native  Christian 
Church,  his  remains  were  laid  to  rest  in  the  grave¬ 
yard  belonging  to  the  Mission. 

His  last  will  and  testament  will  be  read  with 
interest  : — 

“  I,  William  Carey,  Doctor  of  Divinity,  residing  at 
Serampore,  in  the  province  of  Bengal,  being  in  good 
health  and  of  sound  mind,  do  make  this  my  last  will 
and  testament  in  manner  and  form  following : — 

“  First — I  utterly  disclaim  all  or  any  right  or  title 
to  the  premises  at  Serampore,  called  the  Mission 
Premises,  and  every  part  and  parcel  thereof ;  and  do 
hereby  declare  that  I  never  had,  or  supposed  myself 
to  have,  any  such  right  or  title. 

“  Secondly — I  disclaim  all  right  and  title  to  the 
property  belonging  to  my  present  wife,  Grace  Carey, 
amounting  to  25,000  rupees,  more  or  less,  which  was 
settled  upon  her  by  a  particular  deed,  executed 
previously  to  my  marriage  with  her. 

“Thirdly — I  give  and  bequeath  to  the  College  of 
Serampore,  the  whole  of  my  museum,  consisting  of 
minerals,  shells,  corals,  insects,  and  other  natural 
curiosities  and  a  Hortus  Siccus.  Also  the  folio 
edition  of  ‘  Hortus  Woburnensis,’  which  was  presented 
to  me  by  Lord  Hastings,  Taylor’s  Hebrew  Concord¬ 
ance,  my  collection  of  Bibles  in  foreign  languages, 
and  all  my  books  in  the  Italian  and  German 
languages. 

“  Fourthly — I  desire  that  my  wife,  Grace  Carey, 
will  collect  from  my  library  whatever  books  in  the 
English  language  she  wishes  for,  and  keep  them  for 
her  own  use. 

“  Fifthly — From  the  failure  of  funds  to  carry  my 
former  intentions  into  effect,  I  direct  that  my  library, 


DR.  CAREY’S  TOMB  AT  SERAMPORE 


156 


WILLIAM  CAREY. 


with  the  exceptions  above  made,  be  sold  by  public 
auction,  unless  it,  or  any  part  of  it,  can  be  advantage¬ 
ously  disposed  of  by  private  sale  ;  and  that  from  the 
proceeds  1500  rupees  be  paid  as  a  legacy  to  my  son, 
Jabez  Carey,  a  like  sum  having  heretofore  been  paid 
to  my  sons  Felix  and  William. 

“  Sixthly — It  was  my  intention  to  have  bequeathed 
a  similar  sum  to  my  son  Jonathan  Carey;  but  God 
has  so  prospered  him  that  he  is  in  no  immediate 
want  of  it.  I  direct  that  if  anything  remains,  it  be 
given  to  my  wife,  Grace  Carey,  to  whom  I  also 
bequeath  all  my  household  furniture,  wearing  apparel, 
and  whatever  other  effects  I  may  possess,  for  her 
proper  use  and  behoof. 

“  Seventhly — I  direct  that,  before  every  other  thing, 
all  my  lawful  debts  may  be  paid  ;  that  my  funeral  be 
as  plain  as  possible  ;  that  I  may  be  buried  by  the 
side  of  my  second  wife,  Charlotte  Emilia  Carey  ;  and 
that  the  following  inscription,  and  nothing  more,  may 
be  cut  on  the  stone  which  commemorates  her,  either 
above  or  below,  as  there  may  be  room — viz. : — 

‘  William  Carey,  born  August  17th,  1761 ;  died - . 

‘A  wretched,  poor,  and  helpless  worm, 

On  Thy  kind  arms  I  fall.’ 

“  Eighthly — I  hereby  constitute  and  appoint  my 
dear  friends,  the  Rev.  William  Robinson,  of  Calcutta, 
and  the  Rev.  John  Mack,  of  Serampore,  executors  to 
this  my  last  will  and  testament,  and  request  them  to 
perform  all  therein  desired  and  ordered  by  me,  to  the 
utmost  of  their  power. 

“Ninthly — I  hereby  declare  this  to  be  my  last 
will  and  testament,  and  revoke  all  other  wills  and 
testaments  of  a  date  prior  to  this. 

“  (Signed)  WILLIAM  CAREY. 

“(Signed)  W.  H.  Jones,  S.  M'Intosh.” 


CONCLUSION. 


157 


When  the  fact  of  Carey’s  death  became  known, 
many  were  the  memorials  by  which  religious  and 
philanthropic  societies  testified  their  estimate  of  his 
character  and  labours.  The  Baptist  Missionary 
Society,  of  which  he  was  one  of  the  founders,  and  the 
first  missionary,  placed  this  record  upon  its  minutes  : 
“That  this  Committee  cordially  sympathise  on  this 
mournful  occasion,  with  the  immediate  connexions  of 
Dr.  Carey,  by  whose  death  not  merely  the  missionary 
circle  with  which  he  was  most  intimately  associated, 
but  the  Christian  world  at  large,  has  sustained  no 
common  loss.  The  Committee  gratefully  record,  that 
this  venerable  and  highly-esteemed  servant  of  God 
had  a  principal  share  in  the  formation  of  the  Baptist 
Missionary  Society ;  and  devoted  himself,  at  its  very 
commencement,  to  the  service  of  the  heathen,  amidst 
complicated  difficulties  and  discouragements,  with  an 
ardour  and  perseverance  which  nothing  but  Christian 
benevolence  could  inspire,  and  which  only  a  strong 
and  lively  faith  in  God  could  sustain.  Endowed  with 
extraordinary  talents  for  the  acquisition  of  foreign 
languages,  he  delighted  to  consecrate  them  to  the 
noble  purpose  of  unfolding  to  the  nations  of  the  East 
the  holy  Scriptures  in  their  own  tongue :  a  depart¬ 
ment  of  sacred  labour  in  which  it  pleased  God  to 
honour  him  far  beyond  any  predecessor  or  contem¬ 
porary  in  the  missionary  field.  Nor  was  Dr.  Carey 
less  eminent  for  the  holiness  of  his  personal  character. 
Throughout  life  he  adorned  the  Gospel  of  God,  his 
Saviour,  by  the  spirituality  of  his  mind,  and  the 
uprightness  of  his  conduct,  and  especially  by  the  deep 
and  unaffected  humility  which  proved  how  largely  he 
had  imbibed  the  spirit  of  his  blessed  Master. 

“  In  paying  this  brief  and  imperfect  tribute  to  the 
memory  of  this  great  and  good  man,  who  was  long 


158 


WILLIAM  CAREY. 


their  associate  in  missionary  exertion,  and  whom  they 
have  never  ceased  to  regard  with  feelings  of  the 
utmost  veneration  and  respect,  it  is  the  anxious  desire 
of  the  Committee  to  glorify  God  in  him.  May 
a  review  of  what  Divine  grace  accomplished  in  and  by 
this  faithful  servant  of  the  Redeemer  awaken  lively 
gratitude,  and  strengthen  the  devout  expectation  that 
He,  with  'whom  is  the  residue  of  the  Spirit,  will 
favour  His  Church  with  renewed  proofs  of  His  love 
and  care  by  thrusting  forth  many  such  labourers  into 
the  harvest.” 

Other  societies,  such  as  the  Religious  Tract  Society, 
and  the  British  and  Foreign  Bible  Society,  expressed 
similarly  high  esteem,  as  did  also  the  Asiatic  and  the 
Horticultural  and  Agricultural  Societies. 

During  his  lifetime  Carey’s  great  attainments  and 
distinguished  merits  had  called  forth  honourable 
recognition.  Some  three  years  after  his  appointment 
as  Professor  at  Fort-William  College,  Brown  Univer¬ 
sity,  in  the  United  States,  conferred  upon  him  the 
degree  of  Doctor  of  Divinity.  Scientific  societies 
admitted  him  to  their  membership, — the  Linnaean 
Society,  and  the  Geological  Society ;  whilst  the 
Horticultural  Society  of  London  constituted  him 
a  corresponding  member.  Men  of  highest  position 
in  the  service  of  the  State,  such  as  the  Marquis 
of  Wellesley,  Lord  Hastings,  and  Lord  William 
Bentinck,  appreciated  and  extolled  his  worth. 

Robert  Hall,  the  great  preacher,  who,  fifteen  years 
after  Carey’s  departure  for  India,  succeeded  him  in 
the  pulpit  of  Harvey  Lane  Chapel,  Leicester,  thus 
refers,  in  a  funeral  sermon  for  Dr.  Ryland,  to  his 
predecessor : — 

“  By  none  will  the  removal  of  our  excellent  friend 
be  more  deeply  felt  than  by  our  missionaries  in  India, 


CONCLUSION. 


159 


and  especially  by  the  venerable  Carey,  whom  he  was 
the  means  of  introducing  into  the  ministry,  a  circum¬ 
stance  which  he  sometimes  mentioned  with  honest 
triumph,  after  witnessing  the  career  of  that  extra¬ 
ordinary  man,  who,  from  the  lowest  poverty  and 
obscurity,  without  assistance,  rose  by  dint  of  unrelent¬ 
ing  industry  to  the  highest  honours  of  literature, 
became  one  of  the  first  of  Orientalists,  the  first  of 
missionaries,  and  the  instrument  of  diffusing  more 
religious  knowledge  among  his  contemporaries,  than 
has  fallen  to  the  lot  of  any  individual  since  the 
Reformation  ;  a  man  who  unites,  with  the  most  pro¬ 
found  and  varied  attainments,  the  fervour  of  an 
evangelist,  the  piety  of  a  saint,  and  the  simplicity  of 
a  child.” 

And  John  Foster,  the  celebrated  essayist,  wrote  to 
the  Rev.  John  Fawcet  in  this  characteristic  strain  : — 

“  The  retrospect  of  my  long  life  is  deeply  humiliat¬ 
ing,  whether  judged  of  absolutely,  or  by  comparison 
with  individuals  who  have  gone  from  indefatigable 
Christian  service  to  their  glorious  reward.  In  this 
view  it  is  not  without  a  profoundly  mortifying 
emotion  that  I  can  repeat  the  name  of  Dr.  Carey, 
unquestionably  the  very  foremost  name,  of  our  times, 
in  the  whole  Christian  world.  What  an  entrance  his 
has  been  into  that  other  world  !  ” 

As  we  thus  record  the  high  place  Carey  had 
secured  in  the  esteem  and  affection  of  good  men  of 
all  sections  of  the  Church  of  Christ,  we  would  recall 
the  sentiments,  with  which,  like  the  Great  Apostle  to 
the  Gentiles,  between  whom  and  himself  it  is  no  irrev¬ 
erence  to  say  there  was  much  in  common,  he  pursued 
his  early  labours, — “  I  rejoice  that  God  has  given  me 
this  great  favour,  ‘  to  preach  among  the  Gentiles  the 
unsearchable  riches  of  Christ.’  I  would  not  change 


i6o 


WILLIAM  CAREY. 


my  station  for  all  the  society  in  England,  much  as 
I  prize  it ;  nor  indeed,  for  all  the  wealth  in  the  world. 
May  I  but  be  useful  in  laying  the  foundation  of  the 
Church  of  Christ  in  India,  I  desire  no  greater  reward, 
and  can  receive  no  higher  honour.” 


THE  END 


S,  W  PARTRIDGE  AND  CO.,  9  PATERNOSTER  ROW,  LONDON. 


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